NORTH Melbourne father-son prospect Joel Crocker is set to miss the rest of his under-18 season after suffering an ankle injury.  

Crocker, whose father Darren played 165 games for the Roos and is currently on the club's coaching panel, went down with the syndesmosis injury while training last week at school level.  

The 18-year-old is expected to require surgery and unlikely to play again this season, making his position in this year's draft pool hard to place.  

Crocker had only recently returned to the field after a serious ankle injury at the end of last season while playing for the Sandringham Dragons in the TAC Cup, but it is understood the latest injury is to his other ankle.  

The 191cm Crocker can play through the midfield or as a forward, and kicked five goals for school side Brighton Grammar in its clash with Caulfield Grammar late last month in what may be the last game of his season.  

It is a blow for the Kangaroos, who two weeks ago were notified of potential father-son Nick Blakey's decision he would be nominating Sydney as his preferred destination.  

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Blakey, the son of former Roo and Fitzroy player and current Swans assistant coach John, could have joined North or Brisbane as a father-son but instead opted to nominate the Swans as an academy player.  

The Roos are still in the hunt for Bailey Scott, who can nominate as a father-son to Geelong and North as well as Gold Coast through its academy, while they will have first call on Tasmanian star Tarryn Thomas under the Next Generation Academy rules.  

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Darren Crocker had a 14-year career at North, including playing in the 1996 premiership, but his career was interrupted by injury.  

After retiring at the end of 1998, he returned to the Roos as an assistant coach at the end of 2004, where he has remained since.