North Melbourne's rising star Jack Ziebell says he's hopeful of overcoming a broken leg to play a part in the AFL finals.

Ziebell suffered a second break to his right leg in as many years when he fractured the tibia in the first quarter of Sunday's loss at Geelong, colliding with the legs of Cats' player Travis Varcoe.

Ziebell's debut season was ended when he broke the fibula bone in round 12 last year.

But the 19-year-old said on Monday he was hopeful of playing again in 2010, if the ninth-placed Kangaroos could win enough games to snare a spot in the finals.

North are still waiting on the results of scans but he does not need surgery and should be sidelined for between six and eight games.

"I've just been a bit out of luck two years in a row, but that's footy and you've got to live with that," he said.

"Hopefully it will heal on its own.

"It felt pretty similar (to last year), a little bit more painful this year, I think. It's pretty shattering."

Ziebell said North's chance of making the finals gave him incentive to recover quickly.

"It's pretty disappointing, but I think it's part and parcel of footy these days, you get injuries and you have to deal with them," he said.

"I've just got to get back on the horse and just got to work really hard in rehab now and make sure I do everything right to get back and if we play finals, get back for that."

North's game against Sydney on Sunday is crucial for both clubs' finals aspirations, as they are level on seven wins, but the Swans are in the eight on percentage.

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