The injury comes at the cruellest possible time for Smith, who has managed just 27 matches in four seasons at Arden Street.
The 22-year-old had enjoyed his best summer and played a couple of his club’s pre-season matches before injuring himself in a NAB Challenge match against Fremantle.
But North Melbourne club doctor Con Mitropoulos said given his history with hamstring injuries the Kangaroos would not rush Smith’s return.
The doctor said Smith’s latest injury was linked to the youngster’s revised running style.
Dr Mitropoulos said Smith had been forced to run with a permanent limp to cater for a degenerative ankle injury, which has hampered much of the early part of his time at AFL level.
“Most hamstrings will take the better part of three or four weeks to come good,” Dr Mitropoulos said from Arden Street at training on Thursday morning.
“This being an ongoing issue, it depends a little bit on how his ankle fares … we’re going to go very slowly. A recurring hamstring would take anything up to six weeks.”
Dr Mitropolous said it could take up to two months for Smith to return to full fitness and then he would have to play a few games at Ballarat.
The hamstring injury is related to the ankle problem, and Mr Mitropolous said “some things are not fixable”, suggesting the ankle was something the promising youngster would simply have to manage throughout his career.
Of more immediate concern, however, is Smith’s hamstring.
North Melbourne realise he will need significant time on the sidelines to strengthen the muscle and regain confidence in his legs, but the club doctor remained hopeful the 2009 season was not a write-off.
“He may have on-going issues but the prospect for him is to play a lot of footy this year, so we anticipate he will,” he said.
And mentally?
“He’s an amazing character,” Dr Mitropoulos said.
“He’s one of the great players who has perhaps played most of his time in rehabilitation.
“Anybody who does rehab year in, year out, gets sick of it but he is the best at managing it.”
Dream Team watch – North Melbourne’s Jesse Smith is rated a $197,000 defender in Toyota AFL Dream Team 2009.
