NORTH Melbourne has opened up a list spot ahead of Tuesday night's Telstra AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft after placing first-year defender Blake Thredgold on the inactive list.
The 18-year-old has been on the sidelines since undergoing pre-season surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury suffered in February.
Thredgold arrived at the Roos from South Australia with pick No.26 in the 2025 Telstra AFL Draft after earning best-on-ground honours in the SANFL under-18 Grand Final as Sturt beat West Adelaide.
Kangaroos footy boss Todd Viney said the club would continue to support Thredgold through his recovery.
"Blake has been a highly valued member of our club since arriving late last year, and our main focus is having him complete his rehab seamlessly," Viney said.
"We see Blake as an important part of our future, and he’s put in a heap of work behind the scenes already, and by placing him on the inactive list, we can take any immediate pressure off his timelines.
"Having a pick gives us flexibility in next week's draft, but we'll continue our discussions over the coming days to determine whether using the selection is the right move for our list at this current time."
Between 12 and 16 selections are expected to be made at the mid-season draft, with Collingwood, Waalitj Marawar, Narrm and Yartapuulti among the clubs who could use multiple picks.
Teams are still able to create vacancies across the weekend if their players suffer season-ending injuries in this round.
