North Melbourne have finally lost patience with Lindsay Thomas, dropping the wayward forward back to the VFL.
Kangaroos coach Brad Scott revealed on Thursday that the 23-year-old's kicking woes could not be tolerated any longer and Thomas would saddle up for North of the Ballarat variety this weekend.
"We've got to the point now that I've had to make the decision we're actually hurting Lindsay now by sending him out there to play," Scott said.
"He's also not helping the team out there, some of his defensive work's fantastic, but he's out there to be honest to kick goals and create goals for us."
"He's just unable to do that at the moment, so we want to free the shackles, send him back to the VFL and really get him enjoying his footy again."
Thomas' yips have been well-documented in 2011, having kicked 17.29 and 10 out of bounds on the full from 15 matches this season.
Included among his hauls this season were 0.6 against Fremantle in Round 4 and 1.6 in the Round 6 win over Port Adelaide, while a miss from the goal square in last week's 117-point loss to Collingwood appeared the final straw.
Scott believes a stint in the VFL will allow Thomas the chance to sort out his kicking issues away from the constant glare the AFL provides.
"It's far more a mental issue than it is a technical issue," Scott said.
"We're absolutely confident that he'll turn it around, he's been exploring every avenue to get over the challenges he's got, but I've been impressed with the fact he's met it head on. He hasn't shirked any issue."
"The thing about Lindsay is he loves his footy and wants to get back as soon as possible, but he knows he's got to sort this issue out and sort it out soon. When he does, we'll welcome him back into the side."
Scott said there had been no thought to move Thomas up the ground and give him a new role in the North side.
"We're not going to hide him in positions to get a short-term cover-up of what is a fundamental issue for him," Scott said.
Inspirational captain Brent Harvey will be given up until game time for Sunday's clash against Western Bulldogs to prove his fitness from a chipped bone in his left thumb.
"He's an extremely resilient player, he's been able to play really well with injury in the past," Harvey said.
"It's got a small fracture in it, we think he's probably going to be OK - it's fair to say he's in some doubt, we'll name him in the side and give him every opportunity to prove his fitness provided he can get through and handle the ball OK and tackle."