After steady improvement in 2021 and a pre-season of mixed fortunes, the real test is finally here for David Noble's developing Kangaroos. 

Here are four of the most pressing questions ahead of Sunday's Round 1 clash with the Hawks at the MCG.

Can the Kangaroos jump-start their season?

Three wins in their last five meetings against the Hawks suggests the Kangaroos have the opportunity to improve their ordinary Round 1 form across the last decade.

Since 2013, North Melbourne has won just two of its nine Round 1 clashes. They were a 10-point victory over Adelaide in 2016 where Brent Harvey and Jarrad Waite kicked three goals each, and a two-point win over St Kilda in 2020 where Ben Cunnington led the team with two goals and 25 disposals.

While the season is a long one, a Round 1 victory would be an important confidence boost for this young and exciting team. Having defeated Hawthorn in Round 9 last season, the Roos will know this fixture is winnable, but they’ll need a sharper start than in recent seasons to capitalise on the opportunity.

Will a three-pronged ruck attack work for North Melbourne?

With Todd Goldstein and Tristan Xerri named in Sunday's starting 18 and Callum Coleman-Jones also confirmed to debut, North Melbourne look set to unleash a three-pronged ruck attack this weekend.

Xerri impressed in the ruck against Sydney in the AAMI Community Series, while Coleman-Jones has hit the ground running since arriving at Arden Street. Todd Goldstein is set to play forward more than he did last season, but he’s still just as dominant in the ruck as he’s ever been.

All three players are versatile. Goldstein was one of North’s most efficient forward targets last season when he pushed up the ground, while Xerri and Coleman-Jones both have experience of playing as a key position target.

Does one of the three play as a stay-at-home key forward to support Nick Larkey? Will all three rotate through the middle and spend time as the primary ruck?

Whichever way coach David Noble approaches this game, with the Hawks missing Ben McEvoy due to health and safety protocols, the likes of three-game player Max Lynch and potential inclusion Ned Reeves will have a serious battle on their hands.

Where will Jason Horne-Francis play on debut?

Horne-Francis will tread uncharted territory when he becomes the first ever number one pick to run out in royal blue and white stripes on Sunday.

When representing South Adelaide at SANFL level, Horne-Francis was a versatile prospect who looked most at home in the midfield, but he’s also an incredibly dangerous forward who even spent some time in defence last season.

Though it’s safe to say he won’t be playing in the back half of the ground on Sunday, how Horne-Francis splits his time between the midfield and forward lines will be an interesting question, and this weekend’s clash gives North fans their first look into how that might work in the long term.

Can Jared Polec recapture his best form?

Since the promise of 2019, when he placed seventh in the Syd Barker Medal in his first season at North Melbourne, Polec has struggled for consistency at senior level.

Injuries have restricted him to just 18 games in the past two seasons; only five of which came in 2021. That stop-start campaign left many fans frustrated with his output, but Polec appears rejuvenated ahead of Round 1.

Named in his favoured wing position, Polec can be one of the most damaging and lethal attacking midfielders in the competition when at his best. Should he recapture that form in 2022, he could add serious firepower and experience to this developing Kangaroos side.

North Melbourne's 2022 season has started in disappointment as Hawthorn came from behind to win by 20 points at the MCG.

With the Hawks fielding their youngest side since 2005, Jack Gunston and Mitch Lewis feasted on an undermanned and undersized North Melbourne defence to hand new coach Sam Mitchell the perfect start to his career.

Playing their first game in 18 years without four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson at the helm, the Hawks overturned a 21-point deficit to run out 11.12 (78) to 8.10 (58) winners in what was a highly entertaining affair at a sun-baked MCG.

HAWKS v KANGAROOS Full match coverage and stats

The Roos made much of the early running, with Jy Simpkin registering the first goal within the first minute of the game.

North Melbourne took a one-point margin into quarter time, before extending the gap beyond three goals during the second term.

Last year’s No.1 draft pick Jason Horne-Francis snapped a classy goal from 30 metres out – his first at AFL level - with 10 minutes remaining before half-time, as the Roos looked to break the game open.

But late goals to Gunston and Dylan Moore cut the margin to just seven points at the main break.

The Hawks were dominant in the third quarter, but failed to capitalise on the scoreboard, kicking three goals to one, as Lewis (three goals) and Gunston (three goals) continued to wreak havoc.

Hawthorn’s experienced players came to the fore when the game was up for grabs, with Chad Wingard, who was largely unsighted for three quarters, kicking two important majors within two minutes in the early stages of the final term to gift the Hawks some breathing space.

Exciting Hawks defender Changkuoth Jiath was arguably best afield. The 22-year-old gathered 24 disposals at 83 per cent efficiency, took five marks, had nine intercept possessions and sent the ball inside 50 on three occasions.

The Kangaroos never gave up the fight, but an early injury to key back Ben McKay left them exposed in the defensive half. McKay was replaced by Charlie Lazzaro soon after quarter-time, after being ruled out with concussion.

The Hawks’ win is their fifth consecutive round one triumph, while the Roos have now posted just one of its past six opening encounters.

Best and fastest

22 seconds was all the time best and fairest winner Jy Simpkin needed to swing onto his left boot and set the season rolling. Unfortunately Nick Larkey's goal was the Roos' only other reward before quarter time as Tristan Xerri, Cam Zurhaar and Horne-Francis missed opportunities to capitalise on a bright start, and Curtis Taylor had a goal overruled thanks to a Hawk defender's fingernail on the line.

The early blow

Ben McKay played all 22 games at the heart of the Kangaroo defence last season, but his round one was cut short inside the first term. The big defender copped a knee to the head in a marking contest and was replaced by medical sub Charlie Lazzarro after quarter time. With a Josh Kennedy-shaped challenge awaiting the backline in next week's game against the Eagles, the Roos will need McKay's teammates to step up.

No.1 for No.1

Jason Horne-Francis could have had his first career goal before quarter time, but the North faithful didn't have to wait long to see the club's first ever No.1 draft pick open his account. Larkey's strength in the tackle set up the chance, and Horne-Francis curled home off a step from 35m. While his mum wiped away a tear in the stands, the pile-on from his Kangaroo teammates underlined the excitement he's brought to the group in his short time at Arden St. The South Australian drifted out of the match, finishing with 13 possessions, but he did enough to prove he is comfortable at the elite level.

What's next?

The Kangaroos host West Coast in front of the North faithful at Marvel Stadium in Round 2. Coach David Noble will look for a more disciplined performance after a series of costly errors against the Hawks, and he will need to structure his defence without Ben McKay, who will miss due to concussion protocols. The opening bounce is at 1.10pm AEDT on Sunday.

HAWTHORN                   2.4     4.7     7.9     11.12 (78)
NORTH MELBOURNE     2.5     5.8    6.8      8.10 (58)

GOALS
Hawthorn: Lewis 3, Gunston 3, Wingard 2, Maginness, Moore, Newcombe
North Melbourne: Larkey 2, Simpkin 2, Goldstein 2, Horne-Francis, Mahony

BEST
Hawthorn: Jiath, Gunston, Mitchell, Lewis, Sicily, Moore
North Melbourne: McDonald, Simpkin, Davies-Uniacke, Hall

INJURIES
Hawthorn: Lynch (concussion), Ward (ankle)
North Melbourne: Polec (ankle) replaced in selected side by Powell, McKay (concussion)

SUBSTITUTES
Hawthorn: Tom Phillips (replaced Max Lynch)
North Melbourne: Charlie Lazzaro (replaced Ben McKay)

Crowd: 38,279 at the MCG