ROBIN Nahas is a strong chance to be elevated from North Melbourne's rookie list as the Roos grapple with a sudden shortage of small forwards ahead of their clash with St Kilda on Sunday.

North will be without both Kayne Turner and Lindsay Thomas against the Saints following its win over the Western Bulldogs last Friday night.

Turner will miss about four weeks with a hamstring injury he suffered late in the first quarter against the Dogs, while Thomas has accepted a one-match suspension for his head-high tackle on Lachie Hunter in the final term.

Compounding those likely losses, North has been without fellow small forward Jed Anderson since he suffered a serious hamstring injury against Adelaide in round one.

Nahas shapes as the best available like-for-like replacement for Turner and North has room for him on its senior list while Anderson remains on the long-term injury list.

Tall forward Mason Wood looms as another likely inclusion against St Kilda after his best-on-ground performance for Werribee in the VFL on Saturday.

Wood kicked four goals from 23 possessions against Footscray at the Whitten Oval, while Nahas kicked two in the same game.

One of the keys to North's 6-0 start to 2016 has been the defensive pressure it has applied inside its forward 50.

Wood told the club's website after Saturday's game that he knew his chances of a senior recall would depend largely on his ability to apply defensive pressure.

"I just had a massive focus on defensive acts and tackling and that kind of thing so it was sort of a different game for me this week. I think to really break into that side I've got to do those things," Wood said.

"I just had a massive emphasis on those things and I think I did them as well as I've done, so I’m happy with that side of my game."

North played Wood, 192cm, alongside fellow talls Drew Petrie, Jarrad Waite and Ben Brown with some success in its round four win over Fremantle at Domain Stadium.

Wood was a late withdrawal from the Roos' team the following round against Gold Coast, when North opted to bring in Turner because of the slippery conditions at Metricon Stadium.