NORTH Melbourne recruit Josh Walker admits he is "lucky" to have been cleared of any serious damage after a horrific fall during round one of the AFL season.

Walker flew for a mark over St Kilda's Tim Membrey and landed awkwardly on his back and neck in an incident that Kangaroos coach Rhyce Shaw later admitted had caused some nervous moments in the box.

Walker's parents and partner were on hand in an otherwise empty stadium to witness the key position player's first appearance for North Melbourne after time with both Geelong and Brisbane.

But they only saw Walker on the field for about 15 minutes before the incident saw him ruled out for the rest of the match.

Walker lay on the ground for several minutes as he was assessed by club medical staff but stressed that he was never unconscious and would've liked to have played on.

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"I thought it was a good chance to fly for an aerial ball and unfortunately had the legs taken out," Walker said.

"Next thing I'm upside down and I've landed more on the back of my neck and back rather than the actual head.

"It was not the most pleasant experience, but with the way it is now, the doc was pretty quick to act."

Walker passed all the relevant medical tests on Monday and said the only lasting impact was a stiff neck that required some treatment.

"In reality I've come out with pretty much nothing so it could've been a lot worse," Walker said.

"I suppose it's a pretty vulnerable position and you could end up with a decent knockout or a broken neck or something, so I am lucky."

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Walker said he would have been fit to play in round two against his former club Brisbane for the first time since moving to the Kangaroos if the AFL had not been suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.