Samuel Wright Biography

Sam Wright officially announces his retirement.

Wright, 29, has endured a number of injury-plagued years at Arden Street and hasn't represented the senior side since May due to yet another ankle-related injury.

It follows 701 days on the sidelines between 2016 and 2018 having had surgery on both ankles, as well as dealing with a stress reaction in his foot throughout the same period.

"He's done everything possible to get himself right and get himself up to play AFL footy again, but his body just hasn't allowed it," Kangaroos interim coach Rhyce Shaw said.

"It's a disappointing end for him, but he's been such a fantastic contributor to us over a number of years."

Sam Wright is set for another ankle-related stint on the sidelines after undergoing surgery.

"While it's only a minor clean-out, we will be cautious and measured with his recovery," North's football boss Cameron Joyce said.

"If everything goes to plan, we expect to see Sam back just after the bye round (in round 14)."

Sam Wright signs a new one-year deal to remain at North Melbourne in 2019.

Wright returned after 701 days on the sidelines in round seven of 2018 and did not miss another game for the season, averaging 17.6 possessions and 5.1 marks in 16 matches.

"Sam showed some great resilience in getting back to play senior footy and showed why he is so important to the team," North football manager Cameron Joyce said.

"He put a tremendous amount of time in the gym and with our medical team, so it was great to see him come back with such an impact after an extended period out of the game."

Luckless Sam Wright will make his latest on-field comeback in a VFL practice match this week.

"Sam has been extremely diligent and professional in the manner in which he's applied himself during his extensive recovery and we're confident that all the hard work will pay off and allow him to have an uninterrupted run," North's GM Football Cameron Joyce said.

"He's a player of the highest quality and when he does return to the AFL, he'll be a welcome addition for us."

Sam Wright hopes treatment from a top ballet physiotherapist can fix his foot woes.

The club medical staff's radical decision to approach the Australian Ballet's principal physiotherapist, Sue Mayes, for help and subsequent positive results have buoyed Wright.

"Ballerinas are just incredible, really – they're just so strong," Wright said.

"Their technique and foot intrinsics (muscles) in their foot are just so strong.

"I thought I had bad feet, but some of their feet are pretty bad and the injuries they've gone through, to come out the other side (gives me hope)."

Sam Wright's horror run of injury has continued, with a foot injury set to sideline the North Melbourne defender for up to eight weeks.

"Scans confirmed there was a minor issue with his sesamoid (bone) following the surgery to his syndesmosis (ankle)," North high performance consultant Steve Saunders said.

"We picked this problem up nice and early and Sam will now have a slower than initially expected recovery period. We are taking a very measured approach to his rehabilitation and will graduate his over-ground running loads in the coming weeks. "

Sam Wright undergoes surgery to treat an ankle issue that flared up during pre-season training.

"Sam's pre-season will obviously be impacted, which is certainly not ideal, however we're really confident he'll be available to play and have an impact in the early stages of our 2017 season," North Melbourne football manager Cameron Joyce said.

"The surgery was minor and we hope to see him back to full training in about two months, all going to plan."

Sam Wright has suffered another injury blow, with a left ankle sprain set to sideline him for up to eight weeks.

Wright was injured during the third quarter of North's 70-point win over Richmond at Blundstone Arena and did not return to the ground.

"Sam will go under the knife in the next few days to repair ligaments in his left ankle," North football director Geoff Walsh said.

"After having just spent a month on the sidelines having injured his opposite ankle, it's a tough blow for Sam but we expect him back in time for any potential finals campaign."

Sam Wright signs a three-year contract extension that will keep him at North Melbourne until the end of 2018.

Wright had reached a one-year trigger clause in his existing contract earlier in the year but said he was excited to extend his footballing journey with the Roos even further.

“I’ve loved my time at the club and certainly wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” Wright said.

“While missing out on a Grand Final was tough to take, the playing group is confident we are closer to taking that next step in 2016.”

Rejuventated defender Sam Wright will play on at North Melbourne in 2016 after activating a trigger clause in his existing contract.

Wright signed a two-year contract with the Roos in 2013 but it is understood he automatically earned another season at Arden Street when he played his 20th game for 2015 last Sunday against Fremantle.

The defender is now set to become a free agent at the end of next season, but it's believed he is in talks for a longer-term deal that would tie him to the Roos beyond 2016.

Roo Sam Wright has shone over the past fortnight for the Kangaroos but is yet to cement a regular place in the senior side.

"I've played forward, back, forward, back throughout my whole career and we sat down not long ago and decided that for me (it was best) if I went down back and tried to cement a spot down there," Wright said.

"I just had to concentrate on the things I've been working on in my game back there over the last few years, such as defending first and knowing the right times to be opponent conscious and when to come off your man.

"In the past, I have struggled with it when you move from one end of the ground to the other.

"Although it can be a good thing if you're having a quiet day in certain positions, it does get confusing."

Sam Wright signs on with North Melbourne until the end of 2015 despite a slow start to 2013.

"I'm not shying away from the fact I've had a poor start to the season," Wright said.

"I had a pretty consistent season in the backline last year, but have been struggling in the mid/forward role this year.

"In a sense, I'm still trying to adjust. So much has changed with our structural set-up in the forward line since I played there in my second season (2010).

"But I'm in my fifth year at the club now and I need to stand up and play consistent footy."

Sam Wright shows signs of beginning to deliver on his potential as a defender after limiting dangerous Geelong forward Steve Johnson to just 13 possessions in a 17-point win over the Cats.

"'Stevie J' is one of the best forwards in the game. He's got so many tricks that you can't relax for a second or he'll tear you to pieces," Wright said.

"It was nice that he didn't run amok against me, but I'm not getting carried away. I had a lot of help from our defenders who gave me a chop out whenever I needed it."

A friendly game of backyard cricket temporarily put North Melbourne's Sam Wright back into the rehab group when a little scratch turned into a swollen foot.

"It was almost frightening it happened that quickly," Wright said.

"On the Monday I was in so much pain, I was panicking and my foot was hardly recognisable. I remember thinking, 'how could a little scratch have turned into this'?"

North skipper Brent Harvey's name-and shame comments after a heavy loss to Collingwood has drawn criticism from his coach and club president.

Harvey had called out teammates Sam Wright and Lachie Hansen expressing his impatience at their slow rate of reaching the next level.

"It will never happen again. He's apologised to the players concerned," Kangaroos coach Brad Scott said.

"It was born out of frustration and embarrassment. He made a mistake and it was dealt with very quickly. We certainly won't tolerate people putting the blame on individuals."

An impressive NAB Challenge performance on the weekend has North Melbourne's Sam Wright hoping for a more regular midfield role this season.

"I was pretty inconsistent last year," Wright said.

"I was just trying to find my way, but this year I want to push into the midfield."

North Melbourne's Sam Wright is the round 21 nominee for the NAB AFL Rising Star award after kicking four goals from 16 disposals against the Eagles.

"In the future I'd like to play midfield and go forward but obviously I've got to get stronger and work on a few areas. I definitely want to move into the midfield at some stage in my career," Wright said of his ambitions.