Young North Melbourne defender Josh Goater has suffered a setback in his bid to return to AFL football, sustaining a hamstring strain at training.

Goater was in line to feature in the Roos' upcoming match simulation after a lengthy recovery from an Achilles injury sustained in Round 1 last year.

The 21-year-old's latest setback will place him out of action for six weeks, delaying his start to the 2025 season.

"Unfortunately Josh suffered a moderate grade hamstring injury in a training session during the week," Roos physiotherapist Brenton Egglestone said in a club update.

Goater joins George Wardlaw (hamstring), Brayden George (knee) and Callum Coleman-Jones (Achilles) in missing the start of the coming campaign.

Wardlaw remains close to two months away from a return, while George is eyeing a similar timeline after his ACL setback from last year.

Roos confirm shattering setback for young defender
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 16: Josh Goater of the Kangaroos in action during the round one AFL match between Greater Western Sydney Giants and North Melbourne Kangaroos at ENGIE Stadium, on March 16, 2024, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/AFL Photos/via Getty Images )

Coleman-Jones, who suffered a similar setback to Goater in 2024, is in line to return in the middle of the year.

"[Brayden George] will undergo extensive testing in the next few weeks to ensure he is right to return to full main training program," Egglestone said.

"He will then require a phase of conditioning with the group."

Egglestone also confirmed Wardlaw is "ticking the boxes we require early in his rehabilitation", while Coleman-Jones is "tracking well".

The Roos are set for their opening game of the pre-season this weekend against Melbourne on Saturday before a trip to Bunbury to face West Coast a week later for the Comunity Series.

North Melbourne's 2025 season gets underway on Saturday, March 15 against the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium.