AFL club North Melbourne have put family first with defender Scott McMahon.

The resurgent Roos have left McMahon out of their team to play Port Adelaide on Sunday to remain by his pregnant wife's side.

McMahon's wife is due to give birth in the next couple of weeks.

Coach Brad Scott said the nature of the pregnancy meant it was better for all concerned if the player stayed in Melbourne this weekend rather than travel to Adelaide.

"There's a small chance she might require an emergency caesarian," coach Scott said on Thursday.

"Even though it's a small chance, I think it will occupy 100 per cent of Scott's thinking while he is over in Adelaide.

"If his mind's not going to be on the job - and it should rightly be with his wife - we've made the call not to take him this week."

Aiming for their fourth successive victory, the Kangaroos are also sweating on the fitness of ruckman Todd Goldstein, who has an ankle injury.

But North do have plenty of fit-again options for the match at Adelaide's AAMI Stadium.

Lachlan Hansen and Daniel Pratt have returned from injury and are pressing for selection, along with midfielders Cruize Garlett and Cameron Richardson and forward Ben McKinley.

It makes for selection headaches for Scott for the first time in his tenure.

"I've got the best tool in my armoury that any coach can have and that's a plethora of players to pick from at the selection table," Scott said.

"Players will either perform or other players in the VFL will go past them.

"We've had some real selection headaches the last three weeks now ... but they're good issues."

Ruckman Hamish McIntosh is also set to join the Roos' long and winding selection queue.

He returns to football this weekend from serious Achilles tendon injuries which have sidelined him all season.

But he will be eased into action through the reserves for at least the next two weeks - most likely playing in the forward line rather than the ruck.

Scott is confident his side won't take struggling Port lightly despite hitting a purple patch of form.

"We're 5-7, we're striving to even up the ledger and this is another step towards that," he said.

"We're conscious the Power have been really competitive for parts of games this year and we know their best is really good."

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