Illness has forced North Melbourne into a squad change for Round 4, with top draft pick Finn O'Sullivan ruled out of facing Sydney on Saturday night due to a bug.
The Roos confirmed the team change on Friday, with defender Riley Hardeman brought into Alastair Clarkson's 23-man side.
Hardeman's return will see the Western Australian suit up for his fourth game at AFL level and first for the year, with the young flanker having last played under Clarkson in Round 9 last year.
The squad change comes after North Melbourne made a pair of alterations to the side that fell to Adelaide in South Australia last week, naming debutant and first-round pick Matt Whitlock on the interchange.
Fellow backman Griffin Logue will return after a stint on the sidelines due to a hamstring concern, with Toby Pink and Will Phillips both making way.
The Kangaroos have named Miller Bergman as the emergency in Hardeman's place, with the young backman joining Finnbar Maley and Brynn Teakle in being on standby for Saturday's contest.
Both North Melbourne and Sydney will confirm their final sides an hour prior to the weekend's 7:35pm (AEDT) bounce, with one of their interchange options to be confirmed as the tactical subs.
