Club doctor Con Mitropoulos made the thermoplastic guard for Ziebell, who feared he had re-broken his fibula at a training camp on the Gold Coast in January.
The midfielder's season was prematurely ended when he suffered the injury in wet conditions against Adelaide in round 12 last year, and Mitropoulos said a possible recurrence had weighed on both of their minds.
"Particularly the way he plays his footy, where he puts his body on the line, you would argue that he's more at risk of these sorts of injuries," Mitropoulos told afl.com.au.
"He doesn't really need it because it's healed so well. Everyone could wear a guard like that and I'd be happier because then it would prevent everybody getting shin injuries.
"He's now stopped wearing it and he's played footy with it off, so I'm quite happy with that.
"I knew that at some point he was just going to get frustrated with it and get rid of it."
Ziebell trained with the guard and wore it in every intra-club, pre-season and home and away game this year, before removing it at quarter time of the match against Hawthorn in round five.
Similar to those worn by ruckmen, it was made from a mould but instead of covering the shin bone, protected the fibula at the side of the leg.
The 19-year-old said the guard had taken impact in a contest in the NAB Cup loss to Fremantle.
"If I didn't have it on, it would have been pretty sore," he said. "Once you play, you don't notice it's on. You get used to it pretty quick.
"It was more the strapping around the leg [that was uncomfortable]. When you try to get your calves rubbed by the masseurs, they sort of can't do it because of all the tape on it.
"I can take that off now and be back to normal. It (the leg) feels pretty strong and pretty good. Hopefully that will be it and I'll be right from now on."
Ziebell, who had a fearless attack at the contested ball long before he was selected with North's first selection (No.9 overall) in the 2008 NAB AFL Draft, said he wouldn't change his approach to avoid future injuries.
"It's the way I play and it's the way I will [always] play," he said.
"It reminds me a little bit of Anthony Stevens and Glenn Archer ... who I also had to hold my breath every time I used to see them going into a pack," Mitropoulos added.
"He's much the same."
Ziebell played 10 games last year, earning a NAB AFL Rising Star nomination, and is an important part of North's young side in 2010.
