North Melbourne’s joint vice-captain Jack Ziebell will miss a second consecutive AFL game because of a shoulder injury.
The Kangaroos are 10th on the ladder with two wins in the first three rounds.
Coach Brad Scott’s side face a tough test on Sunday against the 11th-placed Swans at the SCG, where winning the contested possessions will be crucial.
The loss of hard-nosed midfielder Ziebell is a blow for North. Scott said the risk of rolling the dice with Ziebell’s shoulder problem was too high.
“He just said ‘I think I’m going to be right to play’,” Scott told the afl.com.au website on Thursday.
“But we’re not confident that if he cops another really heavy knock he won’t reinjure it.
“Against a very good contested ball side in Sydney, we know the way Jack plays.
“We’re not really prepared to take a risk with him so we won’t name him.
“But the good news is he should be right for the week after.”
Scott says skipper Andrew Swallow has resumed running at full pace following last year’s achilles injury and could return at VFL level in a couple of weeks.