Nathan Grima Biography

Nathan Grima is signed by Essendon as its ninth top-up player following bans to 12 Bombers players in 2016 handed down by the Court of Abitration for Sport.

"I'm really excited about joining the Essendon Football Club this season, and can't wait to have a second chance at playing AFL," Grima said.

"At first it was my surgeon, John Cunningham, who gave me the confidence that I could get back and play senior football. And after the club's medical staff put me through my paces, I had no doubt in my body or my decision.

"My heart is in this 100 per cent. My wife, family and friends are behind me 100 per cent, and I was never content finishing my career the way I did."

Former Kangaroo Nathan Grima is tipped to become the latest top-up player to be signed by the Bombers as they piece together a list hit by season-long bans to 12 of their players.

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott admits he is surprised at Nathan Grima's impending return to football after having serious concerns about the defender's well-being last year.

"It was a real surprise to me. It's a really tough decision for 'Narni' and initially, I've got to be honest, my first thought was concern for his welfare because he's had some pretty significant back injuries over the journey," Scott told SEN radio.

"At the end of last year our discussion was mostly around his well-being in life, not just in sport. I wanted to make sure he was in the best medical hands to live a fulfilling life, and to be able to pick up his kids when that day comes.

"It was a surprise to me that we'd gone from that conversation to him playing again."

Nathan Grima has been forced into retirement by injury, with the North Melbourne key defender requiring a third operation on his troublesome back.

North announced on Wednesday morning that Grima, 29, had decided to hang up his boots after 86 games in eight seasons at Arden Street.

Nathan Grima admits that he initially wanted to quit AFL football after having to undergo back surgery for the second time in little more than four years.

"When you've had your back cut open for the second time – and you don't know the amount of treatment and things I've done to try and get that right – obviously you think, 'Why do I bother really? Am I doing all this really just to play a game of footy?'" Grima said.

"And you probably look a bit beyond just playing football and think about just enjoying your life. In the initial short-term the last thing on my mind was playing football, that's for sure.

"If you asked me a week ago what I wanted to do I probably wanted to quit, but it's just lucky I've got good people around me.

"My fiancée, Jacinta, was the one who tried to keep me positive and I've got a good family. They just sort of keep you focused and you come out of that little bit of a slump.

"And being a person who loves footy and loves a challenge now that I've actually got through the first week of (recovery) I can't think of anything that I want to do more than get back and try to be in a team that could have some success later in the year with a bit of luck."

Nathan Grima says his light-hearted approach to football has been tested by a horror run of injuries.

In seven seasons at North, he has played just 86 games despite being an almost automatic senior selection since 2010 when fit.

"I often get criticised for taking the game so lightly and laughing, but I can tell you this is the ninth surgery I've had and when you're lying in bed and pretty sore it takes the gloss off footy," Grima said.

"But everyone goes through it."

Nathan Grima's injury woes have continued into 2015, with another back injury to sideline him for more than three months.

"The docs have had a round-table conference on this, and it's been decided there will be surgery," North Melbourne director of football Geoff Walsh said.

"It hadn't been responding to the conservative treatments."

Nathan Grima will play on at North Melbourne in 2015 after signing a new one-year deal.

Grima will enter the 2015 pre-season in good health, having avoided post-season surgery for the first time in several years.

"I thought I could go around for another year and luckily the club thought the same," Grima said.

"I'm feeling as good as I could be at the moment."

North Melbourne rolled the dice with Nathan Grima on Saturday afternoon and won, with the key defender surviving his first game in three months after getting a late call-up to face Greater Western Sydney.

Grima returned in the VFL last week for his first action since round seven as he dealt with a serious foot injury, and was then a traveling emergency for the trip to Canberra to face GWS.

But the late withdrawal of Lachie Hansen (hip) left North coach Brad Scott with no choice but to throw Grima back into the fray.

"He has played a half in the VFL, we would've liked him to play another one, but we didn't have another key defender on our list, so he was the next one in," North Melbourne Brad Scott said.

"We had a real setback pre-game when (Levi) Greenwood and Hansen were late withdrawals, which meant we had to take a risk with Grima coming back in, but I thought he was terrific.

"We're always a better side with him in it."

Nathan Grima says all of the frustration he has endured in his injury-ravaged 2014 season will be worth it if he can return to be part of a successful North Melbourne finals campaign.

"It's been done to death that I've been injury prone. I'm pretty much held together with sticky tape these days," Grima joked.

"I'm probably a bit envious of the guys who train every week and play every week, but the reality is I haven't been able to do that in my seven years.

"But if we can come back and play a final, and win a final and strive to do something special as a team - I don't care how long I'm on the sidelines as long as I'm part of that."

After missing North Melbourne's clash against the Lions, Nathan Grima has been ruled out for at least another week due to a foot injury.

"He's still too sore and we certainly don't want to take any risks with him," Kangaroos coach Brad Scott said about Grima.

"He's a really important player to us, so until he trains absolutely 100 per cent without any pain he won't play, and he's not training at all today so that rules him out this week."

Nathan Grima admits to being frustrated by an pre-season interrupted by foot and back injuries.

"I'm so over being injured, this summer has just felt Groundhog Day all over again," Grima said.

"You see how well the boys are training and how fit they're looking and you start to panic and think, 'Geez, I'm falling so far behind'. It's an emotional rollercoaster."

Grima says he has been troubled by a degenerative back condition.

"I had an operation three years ago when I had a bit of disc taken out, which was a success because I've been able to play most weeks during the season," Grima said.

"But unfortunately it's a bit degenerative around the disc and from time to time it just re-bulges and you've just got to manage it the best you can.

"Once you get it it's quite debilitating. It makes it hard to run and do weights and generally the only way to let it settle is rest and do a lot of core (strength) exercises."

Nathan Grima delays scheduled surgery on his foot after the door opens for North Melbourne to make the finals after penalties were handed down to Essendon due to the supplements scandal.

"I spoke to Nathan earlier in the week and he said that he wasn't going to get operated (on) … given what's happened in the last couple of days with the Essendon stuff," Kangaroos skipper Drew Petrie said.

"I doubt he'll play but they're not going to operate because once he's operated (on) he's gone for however long his recovery period is."

Nathan Grima will miss the rest of the season after suffering a foot injury in the club's win over Essendon last weekend.

"That little bit of extra bone has been there for a long time but has never given him any trouble," North Melbourne director of medical services Steve Saunders said.

"So what's happened is, he's landed awkwardly, irritating the joint and the bone. It's quite painful for him."

Nathan Grima ends conjecture he may leave by signing new one-year deal with the Kangaroos.

"It's great to be here for another 12 months at this stage and hopefully beyond," Grima said.

"My biggest aim now is to sign this contract, get fit and aim to play every game next year, which I've never done before, and play finals footy with this club."

Nathan Grima admits he was terrible in his last game in a final against the Eagles and is using it as motivation to lift his game in 2013.

"I didn't have a kick in the first half and I think the ball was up there 90 per cent of the time, so that's been the real driving force for me this year," Grima said.

"I want to make amends for that and go on and have the best year yet. I came in [against the Eagles] underdone and I put my hand up to play and I didn't play a role whatsoever."

Key defender Nathan Grima may yet make a shock return for North Melbourne's first match against Essendon.

"Nathan's ticked all the boxes so far and, everything going according to plan, he'll play this week," Kangaroos director of medical services Steve Saunders said.

"But we'll do final testing on him tomorrow and then we'll sit down with the coaching group and Nathan and make a final call. If he does play, the amount of game time we set will be dependant on what 'Narni' (Grima) does in the final test and how he looks."

Kangaroo Nathan Grima is frustrated at another injury, but knows things could be a whole lot worse.

"I've had my fair share of bloody injuries. The only time I get interviewed is when I get injured and I've had more than my fair share of interviews lately," Grima said.

"Now my main concern just has to be getting myself right and playing the best footy I can.

"A bit of luck would be nice; I've paid my injury dues I reckon. But in the scheme of things a four-week knee injury is pretty minor compared to some of the other things that are going on in the world."

Nathan Grima suffers a high grade medial ligament strain during North Melbourne's NAB Cup match again Richmond and will be sidelined for four-to-six weeks.

When Nathan Grima suffered an injury scare before Christmas, he thought it was 2010 all over again.

"I got pretty tight in the lower back and like any injury at first you think you might have re-injured it," Grima said.

"We had a pretty big campaign from Utah through to Christmas and maybe that build-up of workload caused the back to flare up.

"But the medical staff were all over it and adjusted my program accordingly. I eased off over Christmas but I'm back in full training now."

North Melbourne defender Nathan Grima's is scathing in his assessment of his 2011 season.

"I took a big step back last season in my footy," Grima said.

"I'm one of those guys who needs a lot of work to get fit and stay fit. And I need to be on top of my game to compete well at this level. I just came back a bit early and then with the finger, it just all compounded and I lost a lot of confidence as well."

North Melbourne defender Nathan Grima may be forced out for up to a month with a finger injury.

North Melbourne youngster Lachie Hansen doesn't believe the return of Drew Petrie or the absence of Nathan Grima will affect his role.

"I enjoyed playing up forward in the second half of last year," he said.

"With Drew coming back this year we'll have another tall target, so hopefully he and I can work together."

Defender Nathan Grima will be sidelined for five weeks as he recovers from a broken finger after a training mishap.

Gavin Urquhart, Lachlan Hansen and Nathan Grima have all signed new deals that will keep them at North Melbourne.

Queensland native Gavin Urquhart, in particular, will be kept safe from the new Gold Coast franchise.