North Melbourne’s tough season has taken another hit, with star forward Nick Larkey ruled out for the remainder of 2025 after reinjuring his PCL in last week’s narrow loss to St Kilda.
Larkey landed awkwardly in a marking contest and immediately looked in discomfort, his second setback with the same knee this year.
Coach Alastair Clarkson confirmed on Friday that the 26-year-old would be sidelined until next season.
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‘We've just got to look after that now’
“He'll miss the rest of the season, unfortunately,” Clarkson told reporters. “PCLs are difficult injuries to manage. When you crunch your knee into the ground like he did in that marking contest, there was only going to be damage. We've just got to look after that now and put him in a brace, and he'll get himself right for next year.”
Clarkson admitted he let emotion get the better of him after the match when criticising St Kilda’s defenders, later conceding the incident was within the bounds of normal play.
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“Did the St Kilda defenders do anything that our defenders wouldn't have done in terms of trying to force the contest? Probably not, so I let it go,” he said.
More personally, Clarkson expressed regret over not warning Larkey to play more cautiously.
“I’m sort of disappointed in myself a little bit that I didn’t let him know before the game that leading at flat-out pace with defenders chasing was going to put him at the most risk,” he said. “Someone else could have led into that space… That’s where the disappointment lies.”
With Larkey out, North fans will see two debutants take the field against GWS in Canberra on Sunday. Forward Geordie Payne, fresh off a six-goal VFL game, and swingman Cooper Trembath will both step into the AFL for the first time.