CARLTON veteran Michael Jamison is expected to make a return to football with the Northern Blues in the VFL on Saturday. 

The key defender has not played since he chalked up his 150th game in the Blues' thrilling win against Port Adelaide in round eight.

He has now recovered from the bout of illness that kept him sidelined and has been back in training for the past couple of weeks as he returns to fitness. 

The 30-year-old has been a stalwart in defence for the Blues during difficult times and would provide good support and guidance for the club's young defenders Lachie Plowman and Jacob Weitering. 

Jamison was dropped after the first three games this season but returned to the team in rounds seven and eight before becoming ill.

When he was dropped in April, coach Brendon Bolton expressed confidence in Jamison's ability to get back to his best form. 

"What I do know is 'Jamo' is working really hard to improve. He'll fight back - there's no doubt about that," Bolton said. 

The loss of emerging defender Ciaran Byrne for the season due to an ACL injury suffered last week makes Jamison's return even more important. 

The Northern Blues play Geelong at Preston City Oval on Saturday.