Five North Melbourne players reportedly dealing with illness

A small bunch of youthful Roos are supposed to prepare away from colleagues two days out from their Cycle 2 experience. Due to a stomach bug, up to five North Melbourne players are reportedly training separately from the main group days before their Round 2 matchup with Fremantle. According to 9 News reporter Tom Morris, young gun George Wardlaw is said to have joined Callum Coleman-Jones, Cooper Harvey, Jackson Archer, and Charlie Comben in being “quarantined” from teammates. As a safeguard, each of the five players will prepare independently from Alastair Clarkson’s primary gathering two days out from when the Roos have the Dockers at Wonder Arena. Both Wardlaw and Coleman-Jones highlighted in North Melbourne’s season opener last week against GWS and could be viewed as in some uncertainty during the current end of the week would it be advisable for them they stay sickly. The Roos’ VFL intra-club session on Saturday featured Harvey, Archer, and Comben in their entirety to argue for senior opportunities. Clarkson is set to make something like one change for Cycle 2. A season-finishing Achilles crack in safeguard Josh Goater is probably going to open the entryway for co-chief Luke McDonald to get back from a hamstring strain that hampered his late spring. Goater could be replaced by fringe defender Miller Bergman, and Jy Simpkin, McDonald’s captaincy partner, could also return from a concussion he suffered late in the preseason. Whenever considered fit to play, Comben could be brought into the senior side as a critical safeguard to help the Roos’ last line, which is set to confront a modified Fremantle forward third. Due to the hamstring injury sustained by swingman Brennan Cox, the Dockers will be without him. Youngster Jye Amiss may partner Josh Treacy and Luke Jackson in attack. On Thursday, teams for the second round will be announced at 6:20 p.m. (AEDT).