BEN JACOBS' on-going foot problems have almost certainly ended his 2017 season, with the North Melbourne midfielder undergoing minor surgery on Monday.

North doctor Peter Baquie said Jacobs had undergone an operation to assess his midfoot joint after developing referred pain there.

"Ben returned to the VFL and played a few matches before receiving a knock to his lower leg. This resulted in some referred pain in his foot and some ensuing irritation," Baquie said.

"Despite allowing the aggravated area some time to settle, it's now appropriate to intervene and also inspect the joint and tidy up some potential scar tissue from his previous surgeries."

North football manager Cameron Joyce said Jacobs had not given up hope of making a senior return this season.

"It's not ideal for Ben but we won't be making a call on his season until we have all the information at hand and see how he pulls up," Joyce said.

"Given there is still seven weeks of the home and away season remaining and the VFL season to consider, there's ample time for Ben to recover and push for a return depending on how he recovers from the surgery."

Jacobs has not played a senior game this season after breaking the fifth metatarsal in his right foot in February.

A stress fracture in the same bone limited him to just seven games in 2016.

The former Port Adelaide player returned to play two consecutive VFL games in May (the first for Werribee's development team) but has not appeared since racking up 43 possessions against North Ballarat.

Given the recurring nature of his foot problems, North will most likely decide to put Jacobs in cotton wool until the start of the 2018 pre-season.

The 25-year-old comes out of contract at the end of this season, but North coach Brad Scott said last week his spot on the club's list was "not in question".

"We've got enough evidence to know what his best is, we've just got to get him healthy. That's our priority at the moment," Scott said.

"Is he a player at his best that's going to stay on our list? Absolutely he is."

Jacobs crossed to Arden St in the 2012 trade period. After struggling to establish himself in North's team in his first two seasons, Jacobs thrived when given a run-with brief midway through 2015.

That season, he performed effective roles on Dan Hannebery, Joel Selwood, Dyson Heppell, Tom Rockliff and Marc Murphy, and held Richmond captain Trent Cotchin to just nine possessions in the Roos' elimination final win.