The North Melbourne Kangaroos return to Marvel Stadium this weekend to take on their traditional rivals in Essendon, and the Bombers will be reeling after suffering an after-the-siren loss to Jamie Elliott and Collingwood last weekend.

North Melbourne struggled in the opening term against the Hawks last week, but rebounded to keep scores even across the remainder of the contest. Essendon, on the other hand, have hit some solid form in this back end of the season and have won three of their last four games.

This clash acts as a member replacement game, so even though the Bombers are the home side you can use your membership to get into the ground and cheer loud and proud for your Kangaroos.

Set your matchday reminders

Sunday, July 31
Essendon v North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium, 4.40pm AEST

High-profile clashes with the Bombers have been few and far between in recent years, but almost every North Melbourne fan will have memories of ill-tempered classics against this weekend's opposition.

Whether it's Drew Petrie and his 'Frank the Tank' celebration, former Bombers coach Kevin Sheedy having marshmallows hurled at him, or any number of biffs, bumps and big tackles, these two sides have a history of not seeing eye to eye.

North Melbourne has shown a marked uptick in form in recent weeks after suffering a heartbreaking loss against Collingwood before defeating the Tigers two weeks ago. Even last week's clash against Hawthorn had some immensely strong points in the second half.

The Kangaroos will be hoping to use these final few games of the season to kickstart some momentum heading into next year, and there's no team they'd rather beat than the mob that they come up against this weekend.

Get your ticket to the game

Be there to cheer on our boys and help give them the boost they need to overcome the Bombers.

This clash is a member replacement game, meaning Kangaroos members can use their memberships to get into Marvel Stadium to cheer on the boys.

Be part of history as we target 50k members in 2022

The North Melbourne Kangaroos have reached a new membership record of 46,401 so far in 2022, surpassing the club’s previous record of 46,357, set only last year.

With the continued support of members and fans, the club’s 50,000 membership target is within reach for the first time in its 153-year history.

Joining up as a member is a great way to support not only the AFL team, but the entire football club. 

Watch on TV or stream on your device

The game will be broadcast live for Foxtel and Kayo Sports subscribers.

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Bring on the big game!

After defeating Richmond in a modern-classic two weeks ago, last week's defeat saw the Kangaroos come crashing back down to earth.

While North Melbourne played well in the final three quarters of the day, the 46-point quarter-time deficit indicated there is still plenty of work for this young list to do.

This week's opponent Essendon suffered a frustrating defeat of their own last week, however in vastly different circumstances.

Jamie Elliott's after-the-siren winner for Collingwood condemned the Bombers to a narrow loss and saw them remain in 14th on the ladder.

Both teams have had their struggles this season, although Essendon heads into this game with stronger form. Can the Kangaroos pull the wool over the eyes of their old enemy this week to have the last laugh?

Can the Roos turn around the recent head-to-head record?

While the on-field nature of the rivalry between Essendon and North Melbourne may have cooled in recent years, if you ask most North fans who they hate losing to the most, most would reply with ‘Essendon’.

That’s why the recent record against this weekend’s opponents makes for such tough reading. North hasn’t defeated the team in red and black since Round 8, 2016 for a run of seven consecutive defeats.

This match-up seems to run in phases. Before those losses North had won four in a row and six of the last seven. Taking the record back even further the Kangaroos won 14 of the teams’ 18 clashes between 2002 and 2016.

The veteran players of both sides will remember how much this clash means. The likes of Todd Goldstein, Jack Ziebell and Dyson Heppell all played significant roles in the greatest modern game between the teams - from North’s perspective - the 2014 elimination final.

North has certainly been faced with on-field struggles this season, but ending the run of defeats to the Bombers could act as a massive confidence-booster heading into next season.

How will North’s COVID cases impact the line-up?

With four confirmed COVID cases within the playing ranks earlier this week, the Kangaroos will be forced into making at least one change to its senior side for the Bombers clash, with Leigh Adams ruling young forward Paul Curtis out of the game.

For those other players in isolation, the severity of their symptoms and amount of exercise they were able to complete this week will be crucial when considering their selection for the senior side.

There’s plenty of selection pressure coming from underneath, with the likes of Eddie Ford, Jack Mahony, Kayne Turner and Charlie Comben all throwing their hands up for a senior recall in place of Curtis, while the likes of Josh Walker, Kallan Dawson, Jackson Archer, Atu Bosenavulagi and Josh Goater are all chances to come in for the suspended Flynn Perez.

Tarryn Thomas’ availability could also change the look of things in the midfield.

While the number of changes to be made for Sunday’s clash still needs to be determined, don’t be surprised if there are a few forced changes to the Kangaroos’ line-up.

Will Essendon respond to last week's heartbreak?

While the Bombers come into the side in some strong form, they’ll still be reeling after last week’s after-the-siren loss to Collingwood.

Harry Jones had the chance to put the game to bed late in the final term for the Bombers, however his long-range set shot cannoned off the post to extend their slender lead to two points.

The Magpies then went coast to coast in the blink of an eye, with veteran small forward Jamie Elliott nailing a set shot from the left pocket to condemn Essendon to defeat.

Despite the loss Essendon still comes into the clash having won four of its last six contests, so the nature of their narrow defeat to last week’s opponents shouldn’t be underestimated.

North need to be wary of a quick-fire response from an Essendon side looking to make amends for last week’s late blunder.

Who will step up at the back end of the season?

The back end of last season was a time of great hope for North Melbourne fans. Wins over Gold Coast, Carlton and West Coast showcasing the best of what this young Roos side has to offer.

The likes of Nick Larkey, Tarryn Thomas, Ben McKay and Jy Simpkin all took their games to a new level in these victories, with Larkey in particular impressing with an incredible 13 goals over the three games.

Thomas showcased his immense talent in the win over Carlton with four goals and 23 disposals, while Simpkin's performances locked down his eventual Syd Barker Medal win.

The Kangaroos will once again be looking for a set of young stars to elevate their games in the final few clashes of the season, with the likes of Tom Powell, Jason Horne-Francis and Phoenix Spicer all in contention to build a platform from which to truly break out in 2023.

There are so many young players on the current North Melbourne list who look to have key roles to play in the emergence of the side in the coming years.

This weekend, and the games to follow, are all brilliant opportunities for them to build up speed in their attempts to forge strong careers at Arden Street. 

If part of Essendon's struggles this season can be attributed to the injury-affected absence of Jake Stringer, then Sunday was a reminder of what the Bombers can be with their game-changer at his best.

In the first quarter alone, Stringer booted three goals from the midfield in a ballistic burst that set the tone in Essendon's 48-point win over North Melbourne.

The 28-year-old bookended his day with two last-quarter goals to finish with five majors as the Bombers steadily built on their lead through the game to claim the 17.12 (114) to 9.12 (66) victory.

Stringer remains Essendon's chief match-winner and his performance also included 14 disposals and six tackles in a damaging display for the Bombers, who recorded their highest score of the year. 

It was their fourth win from five games in a turn of form that has lifted them slightly up the ladder and also raised spirits about a season that had otherwise been an ugly backwards step. 

Despite losing in-form midfielder Dylan Shiel to a hamstring injury pre-game, the Bombers got on top around the ball, with Zach Merrett excellent with 38 disposals, 10 tackles and a goal, defender Mason Redman collected 32 disposals off half-back. Dyson Heppell, too, was consistent, while James Stewart returned to the Bombers' line-up with three goals. 

Jy Simpkin tried valiantly in the midfield for the Roos with a career-best 41 disposals, while Cam Zurhaar was a threat throughout, finishing with four goals for the last-placed Kangaroos. 

Stringer was sharp early. He kicked the first of the day from the goal line and had three by quarter-time, including a set shot and a clever snap.

BOMBERS v KANGAROOS Full match coverage and stats

Starting in the centre and pushing forward, Stringer was back to some of his brilliant 2021 form when he kicked 41 goals from 19 games and won several matches off his own boot for his team.   

The Bombers' efficiency going forward made them dangerous in attack to hand them a 15-point lead at the first change. 

North's own raging bull Zurhaar was standing in the way of a heavy defeat. He booted a goal to start the second term, his second of the day, and caused some headaches inside 50 for the Roos.

The Roos star kicked his third in the dying moments of the half to keep his side within reach of the Bombers, who had stretched their lead to 30 points just before the main break. 

But Peter Wright got involved in the third quarter with two goals as the Bombers stretched their lead to 33 points at the final change, as Essendon ran away with its eighth straight win over North Melbourne dating back to 2016. 

McKay and Wright in tight battle
In his 50th AFL game, North Melbourne full-back Ben McKay emerged as one of North's best in his battle with Peter Wright. Wright had entered the game with 45 goals for the season after 19 games, but he met his match in McKay, who was less interceptor than usual but instead spoiled many of Wright's marking attempts in the first half. Wright was better after the main break, kicking two goals and being more involved, but it was an even contest. 

ESSENDON                     5.1     9.5     13.6     17.12     (114)     
NORTH MELBOURNE     2.4     5.6     7.9     9.12     (66)      

GOALS  
Essendon: Stringer 5, Stewart 3, Langford 2, Wright 2, Jones 2, Redman, Merrett, Guelfi
North Melbourne: Zurhaar 4, Scott, Turner, Anderson, Goldstein, Coleman-Jones

BEST  
Essendon: Redman, Merrett, Stringer, Zerk-Thatcher, Hind, Ridley
North Melbourne: Simpkin, Zurhaar, Anderson, Stephenson, McKay, Scott

INJURIES
Essendon: Caldwell (calf)
North Melbourne: Nil

LATE CHANGES
Essendon: Shiel (hamstring) replaced in selected side by Perkins
North Melbourne: Young, Mahony (health and safety protocols) replaced in selected side by Turner, Spicer

SUBSTITUTES  
Essendon: Menzie (replaced Caldwell in the third quarter)
North Melbourne: Walker (unused)

Reports: Nil

Crowd: 29,549 at Marvel Stadium