NORTH Melbourne coach Dean Laidley has lauded the performance of key forward Nathan Thompson, who played out the match against the Bulldogs with an ankle injury.

Thompson suffered the setback in the first half, but managed to kick two goals, including an important one after the three quarter-time siren, when the Dogs were making a charge.  

"I want to make mention of Nathan Thompson, who was struck down with an ankle injury early in the game. He played the whole game with injections and he was soaking up a tall player. To kick that goal before three quarter-time was just a super effort," Laidley said after his side's 20-point win at Telstra Dome.

"It's been a pretty rough three weeks for him and 'Thommo' and I have been working pretty closely together. He'd been up and about for the game and I thought early he had been pretty good and I just thought that's the effort required.

"Sometimes it's not about kicks, marks and handballs and we're great believers in that and it's what you do for the team and I just thought that [he] was very good."

Meanwhile, Laidley said skipper Adam Simpson (hip), who was a late withdrawal against the Dogs, and ruckman Hamish McIntosh (knee), who has been sidelined for the past seven rounds, are set to return for next Sunday's clash against Carlton at Telstra Dome.

"We'll get our captain back next week, so that's going to be a huge improvement for us and I'd say Hamish McIntosh, I'd just about bring him straight back in next week," he said.

"He's been training really well and he can play second fiddle to [Drew] Petrie and [David] Hale."

Asked if tall timber quartet Thompson, McIntosh, Petrie and Hale can all play together in the one side, Laidley said: "We played previously with that [combination], but it'll be horses for courses I would've thought."