Click here for the match preview
Grima was scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery to remove a small bone fragment from his foot on Monday, but North cancelled that operation as it became apparent the Bombers would be banned from this year's finals under the AFL's set of penalties for their 2011-12 supplements program.
With North now needing to beat Collingwood – and hope Carlton and the Brisbane Lions lose to Port Adelaide and Geelong respectively – to make the finals, acting Roos skipper Drew Petrie told AFL.com.au Grima could return against the Magpies.
"It's not out of the realms of possibility that Nathan Grima still may play this week," Petrie said on Wednesday.
"I spoke to Nathan earlier in the week and he said that he wasn't going to get operated (on) … given what's happened in the last couple of days with the Essendon stuff.
"I doubt he'll play but they're not going to operate because once he's operated (on) he's gone for however long his recovery period is."
Grima's inclusion would be a massive boost for the Roos as they prepare to take on a Collingwood forward line led by star power forward Travis Cloke, especially given their No.1 key defender Scott Thompson has been sidelined since round 20 with a bruised lung.
North ruled Thompson out for the season last Thursday, but amended that prognosis on Monday, saying the key defender could return as early as the first week of the finals if North made it that far.
North director of medical services Steve Saunders told NMFC.com.au Thompson would need clearance from his cardiothoracic specialist before returning.
"It's really just a risk management decision around him getting another knock to the ribcage or lung tissue. There's a certain amount of improvement the specialist would like to see before he clears him," Saunders said.
"It's a matter of keeping an eye on that and seeing if he improves fast enough."
If North beats Collingwood and qualifies for the finals, it will do so despite a 10-12 record and the fact it remained outside the top eight for the first 22 rounds of the season.
Twitter: @AFL_Nick
