AFTER North Melbourne suffered its fifth consecutive loss on Saturday night coach Brad Scott was asked who he could bring into the Roos' team to help arrest its slump.

Scott did not name any possible inclusions, saying he had not seen how the 12 North players representing Werribee had fared earlier that day against Geelong's VFL team.

But even if Scott is tempted to wield the selection axe in an effort to shock his team back into form, his hands are largely tied. North's lengthy injury list has seen to that.

Club legend Wayne Carey told Triple M radio on Sunday Scott should seriously consider dropping out-of-form spearhead Drew Petrie.

Scott has repeatedly defended Petrie's form when asked about the veteran in recent weeks, so seems highly unlikely to drop him in any circumstances.

But if the Roos coach considered making such a big call, the lack of fit replacements would almost certainly convince him to hold fire.

Fellow tall forwards Mason Wood (knee) and Aaron Black (ankle) are sidelined with injury, both possibly for the rest of the season, which leaves Majak Daw as the only feasible Petrie replacement.

But given Daw's performance in the VFL last Saturday was described as "a relatively quiet day" on North's club website, Scott almost certainly won't make that change.

North would love to welcome back Shaun Higgins, Sam Wright, Ben Jacobs and Luke McDonald, but Higgins (knee), Wright (ankle) and McDonald (hamstring) are all about a month away from resuming, while Jacobs, who has not played since round eight because of a foot injury, is about a fortnight away from returning.

Emerging forward Taylor Garner (hamstring) is edging closer to a return, but given his injury history his game time will likely be gradually built up in the VFL before he is considered for senior action.

Former Saints midfielder Farren Ray (hamstring) is also facing another five weeks on the sidelines, while small forward Kayne Turner still has another two weeks to serve of a club-imposed suspension before he can be considered for senior selection.

Of the other players in action in the VFL on the weekend, key defender Lachlan Hansen and small forward Robbie Nahas are experienced senior players but have been out of favour for most of this season.

Full-back Joel Tippett has not played a senior game since round two last season despite solid VFL form, while the remaining players – Sam Durdin, Will Fordham, Ben McKay, Declan Mountford, Daniel Nielson, Braydon Preuss and Ed Vickers-Willis – have yet to make their AFL debuts.

The selection cupboard is bare.

Scott and his match committee appear to have little choice but to keep the faith this round and hope the likes of Higgins, Wright, Wood, McDonald and Jacobs can return to fitness and form by the finals.