NORTH Melbourne is contemplating sending Mason Wood into defence in a bid to solve two puzzles in one hit.

Wood has always been considered one of the Kangaroos' most talented footballers but injuries and inconsistent form as a forward have prevented him from realising his potential.

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The situation reached a head this year, when North made the 26-year-old available in trade discussions with other clubs.

Wood ended up staying put but will be a free agent at the end of next season – and never has it been more important for him to deliver on his promise.

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The 57-gamer is training as a defender and being deployed in that role in match simulation, as he likely will be again at Arden Street on Friday.

North Melbourne won't play a pre-Christmas practice 'game' as such, as it typically has in recent years under Brad Scott, and will instead run two 10-minute halves of an offence vs defence contest.

That intraclub hitout was used to audition Majak Daw as a key defender two years ago, after he'd played all of his football as a forward or ruckman to that stage.

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Daw responded with the best form of his career in 2018, while a switch from the forward line to defence also worked wonders for Carlton's Liam Jones.

Nick Larkey's emergence as Ben Brown's 'Robin' in attack has lessened the need for Wood to play up forward, but there are still question marks on how the Roos will set up down back.

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Long-time defensive staple Scott Thompson retired, ex-Cat and Lion Josh Walker signed as a delisted free agent, and there are still some unknowns about Daw after his serious hip and pelvic injuries.

Then there are young talls Sam Durdin – who played nine of the last 10 games this past season – and Ben McKay, who are yet to demand a senior spot after five and four years at the club, respectively.

How Wood fits into that equation remains to be seen, if he does make the switch or even plays as a swingman when the serious stuff rolls around in 2020.

He's an excellent endurance athlete for someone of 192cm and again took out North Melbourne's pre-season time trial in November, on top of having a damaging but sometimes erratic left boot.

Could Wood become a third tall defender, or will he be set free as an attacking option at half-back with the assignment of intercepting at every chance?

It's another watch-this-space development in the Rhyce Shaw era.