Grima has been unable to fully recover from the injury that has seen him undergo surgery on his back on two previous occasions.

Specialists have now advised him that he will need a third operation, this time to fuse a disc in his spine.

The 29-year-old's career has been plagued by injury, and the club's website estimates that he has missed 100 AFL games due to operations on his knees, ankles, fingers, feet and hands.

Grima never played more than 17 games in a season. He played 86 games over eight years on North Melbourne's list, after being after a rooke draft selection.

More to come