NORTH Melbourne youngster Paul Ahern will have to wait a little longer to play his first game for his new club after he was left out of the Kangaroos' final team for Saturday's JLT Community Series match against Melbourne at Kingston Twins Oval in Tasmania.
Ahern featured in last week's AFLX tournament but is yet to officially run out in a sanctioned AFL match for his new club.
The former Giant is yet to play a senior match after he missed the entire 2016 and 2017 seasons with two torn anterior cruciate ligament injuries in his knee.
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Important defender Jamie Macmillan is another omission from the Roos' squad, with Josh Williams and Gordon Narrier also sitting the game out.
The Demons have decided to play with six on the bench, leaving Declan Keilty, Harrison Petty, Harley Balic, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Sam Frost and Tim Smith on the sidelines.
Former Docker Balic will have to wait at least another few weeks before playing for his new club.
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NORTH MELBOURNE v MELBOURNE
Kingston Twins Ovals, 2.05pm AEDT, Saturday, February 24
NORTH MELBOURNE
B: M.Williams 2, R.Tarrant 25, R.Clarke 13
HB: A.Morgan 21, S.Thompson 16, S.Atley 18
C: T.Dumont, 14, B.Cunnington 10, B.Jacobs 5
HF: B.Hartung 39, J.Waite 30, L.McDonald 11
F: N.Hrovat 8, B.Brown 50, K.Turner 28
Foll: T.Goldstein 22, S.Higgins 4, J.Ziebell 7 (c)
I/C: M.Daw 1, L.Davies-Uniacke 9, S.Durdin 24, M.Hibberd 17, N.Larkey 20, B.McKay 23, E.Vickers-Willis 33, C.Zurhaar 44
Out: Paul Ahern, Jamie Macmillan, Josh Williams, Gordon Narrier
Notable absentees: Mason Wood, Braydon Preuss, Taylor Garner, Jy Simpkin, Sam Wright
MELBOURNE
B: J.Wagner 42, O.McDonald 28, J.Lewis 6
HB: J.Lever 8, M.Hibberd 14, B.Vince 23
C: J.Hunt 29, J.Harmes 4, B.Stretch 15
HF: C.Oliver 13, T.McDonald 25, N.Jones 2 (c)
F: C.Petracca 5, J.Hogan 1, M.Hannan 19
Foll: M.Gawn 11, J.Melksham 18, A.Neal-Bullen 30
I/C: C.Salem 3, A.Brayshaw 10, T.Bugg 32, B.Fritsch 31, C.Maynard 20, C.Pedersen 21
Out: Declan Keilty, Harrison Petty, Harley Balic, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Sam Frost, Tim Smith
Notable absentees: Neville Jetta, Jack Viney, Dom Tyson
