The North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos will be looking to make it two wins in a row for the first time this season as they challenge the undefeated Western Bulldogs at the Swinburne Centre on Friday afternoon.

With a chance to head into the second half of the home and away season ahead of the ledger, expect North Melbourne to bring the energy into another crucial bout against an opposition with top four aspirations.

Make sure you're ready to go with this week's gameday guide.

Set your matchday reminders

Friday, September 23
Western Bulldogs v North Melbourne at the Swinburne Centre, 12.40pm AEST

North Melbourne brought the pressure early against an in-form Geelong side last week to ultimately claim a 12-point victory that saw the club keep its perfect record in Tasmania alive.

Now sitting on the verge of the top eight with difficult oppositions on the horizon, it's do or die time for the Roos.

This week, a 4-0 Bulldogs line-up featuring star midfielders Kirsty Lamb and Ellie Blackburn is on deck.

Also playing in sloppy conditions at Box Hill City Oval a week ago, the Dogs continued their hot start to Season 7 with a 30-point win over expansion club Hawthorn.

Lamb led the way with 25 disposals, seven clearances a goal as she and Blackburn fed off the dominant Dogs' rucks all day.

The current form of both midfields will make for an intriguing battle come Friday with Jasmine Garner, Ash Riddell and Jenna Bruton set to square off against Isabelle Pritchard and the aforementioned Dogs' duo.

Will the Roos become the first blemish on the Bulldogs' Season 7 record?

Ticketing

The Kangaroos are back in Victoria for Round 5 so make sure you buy a ticket and get down to the Swinburne Centre to support the squad.

Membership

If you haven't already, become an AFLW Season 7 North Melbourne member.

Joining up is a great way to support not only the AFLW team, but the entire football club and AFLW competition!

Watch on TV or stream on your phone 

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

Stay connected on social media

For behind-the-scenes access and all the best highlights, photos, stats and stories, we’ve got you covered.

Follow the @northmelbournew accounts on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date with everything happening at the match.

Bring on Round 5!

The North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos will have a chance to win two consecutive games for the first time this season as they front the undefeated Western Bulldogs in a crucial clash at the Swinburne Centre.

After falling to both Season 6 Grand Finalists in successive weeks, the Roos will have some momentum behind them heading into Round 5 after taking down an in-form Geelong outfit by two goals in wet conditions last week.

The Bulldogs also triumphed on a saturated field in Round 4 and extended their Season 7 unbeaten streak in the process with a 30-point win over Hawthorn.

In what is set to be an eye-catching affair, both sides have a strong presence of exciting young talent as well as several stars that have the capability of leading by example.

Here are three narratives to take note of heading into Friday afternoon.

Roos on right side of history

North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs have only met twice since the AFLW launched, with the former prevailing on both occasions.

The more recent meeting saw the Roos claim an 11-point in similar fashion to how the club defeated the Suns and Cats this season.

North jumped out to an early three-goal lead at North Hobart Oval in Round 7, 2021, and managed to hold the Dogs off in the final stages despite them controlling most of the fourth term.

Both clashes have taken place in Tasmanian territory so Round 5 will serve as the first encounter between the sides on Victorian soil.

Will the Roos make it a hat-trick against those from Melbourne's west?

A return to form?

Recording their highest score since the Round 1 victory over the Suns, there were several encouraging signs from North's forward line last Friday.

A final score of 28 may not be a sufficient total most weeks, but the four goal and four behind effort in the wet weather offered plenty of glimpses of what the group is capable of going forward.

Vikki Wall has been able to rapidly find her feet in the world of Aussie Rules and put in her best shift to date against Geelong with two goals.

Since returning to action two weeks ago, Alice O'Loughlin and Sophie Abbatangelo have had positive effects on how the forward line has operated.

While relatively quiet against the Crows, Abbatangelo didn’t miss a beat in Launceston as her clean skills and constant pressure acts helped North shoot to a healthy lead.

And despite not being someone who racks up disposals, O'Loughlin has been a livewire so far with the ability to consistently split contests and make something from nothing – as she did in Round 3.

There's no doubting that a firing forward line is critical to how tight games play out, and with this week expected to be a close game, the Roos will need to conjure plenty of scoring opportunities against a strong opponent.

Midfield battle

A rich profusion of talented midfielders will take the park on Friday, which is set to unfold into a gripping battle between the two contingents.

On the Bulldogs' side, there is captain Ellie Blackburn and Kirsty Lamb who are averaging 19.8 and 20 disposals respectively with the latter also polling 30 AFL Coaches Association Champion Player votes from a possible 30 over her past three appearances.

They are complemented by the likes of Isabelle Pritchard and Jessica Fitzgerald as well as ruck Alice Edmonds who leads the league in hitouts (118) and often gives the Dogs' midfield first choice around stoppages.

In the royal blue and white, it's Jasmine Garner and Ash Riddell who have been North's main influences around the contest.

Garner is averaging 23.8 disposals, 6.5 clearances and 359.5 metres gained per game while Riddell has seen plenty of the ball too, averaging 22.2 disposals.

Looking to follow up on her best performance for the season so far will be Jenna Bruton who racked up 24 touches and five marks against the Cats. And although she isn't a prolific ball-winner, Mia King's ability to pressure and force turnovers through tackling is sure to have an impact in the trenches and all over the ground on Friday.

The North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos have ended the Western Bulldogs' unbeaten start to the AFLW season with a 15-point win on Grand Final Eve.  

In front of a capacity crowd at Punt Road Oval, the Kangaroos kicked four goals to two in the second half to run out winners 6.7 (43) to 4.4 (28), jumping into the top eight in the process.

BULLDOGS v KANGAROOS Full match coverage and stats

Club champion Jasmine Garner starred once again for the Roos. Although she spent most of her time in the midfield, she continued to work her way up and down the corridor, either intercepting the Dogs' kicks into the centre or becoming the conduit for her own side's attacking transition thanks to her strength in the air and clean skills.

Garner finished the game with 26 disposals, seven marks, eight clearances and 537 metres gained.

North Melbourne was able to limit the Bulldogs' contested marking game, holding them to just five - half their average this season - while taking six themselves.

The Dogs had their moments - their ability to escape danger by hand was superb, with supporting runners always coming from behind. They used the ball well around the ground, methodically picking out targets, but poor decision-making going inside 50 allowed Sarah Wright to sit back and intercept.

On the flipside, they struggled to cleanly take the ball or hit targets because of the pressure the Roos were applying.

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The game broke open in the third quarter after a contested first half, as both sides found run and space to slingshot into attack, exemplified by a Bulldogs run down the wing ending in Rylie Wilcox's third goal for the season.

Jenna Bruton's running capacity and ability to find space outside the contest to clear the ball was vital, and she ended the game with 20 disposals and five clearances.

A late surge from the Bulldogs was quelled by a free kick reversal when Kirsty Lamb put down Emma Kearney with a strong bump off the ball deep into the final quarter.

The Roos have beaten the Bulldogs in their only two previous AFLW encounters, but it was clear from Friday afternoon's opening bounce they would need to scrap tooth and nail to deliver a hat-trick of wins in the fixture. 

Bella Eddey got the Roos on the board early before back-to-back Bulldog goals gave the home team a five-point lead at quarter time.

Efficient ball use by North's experienced midfield in the second quarter saw the Kangaroos dominate inside 50s, but a single goal to the lightning fast Vikki Wall was the side's only reward for effort before half-time.

Tess Craven's first AFLW goal gave the Roos breathing space in the final quarter, only for pocket-sized Bulldog Wilcox to kick her second, ensuring a tense finish.

It's a lockout!

At half-time, news filtered around the ground that Punt Road Oval had reached capacity and gates were shut. As a helicopter flew persistently overhead and trains rattled past Richmond station, fans could be seen hanging off the outer fence peering in on the game. Public holiday footy goes alright

Did you see that?

Vikki Wall's pirouette on the half-forward flank midway through the third quarter was as good as any AFLW play so far in season 7. Equally impressive was her poise after sitting down her Bulldog opponent to measure a pass for Tahlia Randall in the forward pocket. The Kangaroos' No.13 has earned plaudits for her turn of pace since arriving from Ireland in pre-season, but it might be time to also acknowledge her outstanding game sense and agility.

Under pressure

North Melbourne's pressure had the Bulldogs off guard right from the opening bounce. The way the Kangaroos mobbed the ball carrier from contest to contest had their opponents panicked and fumbling. Not only did that pressure lead to multiple holding-the-ball free kicks, but it also worried the Dogs' typically calm and collected backline into errors they usually would not make. Dropped marks, off target kicks, which turned into perceived pressure, played directly into the Roos' hands for much of the first half.

Out we come to play

If there was any doubt at quarter time whether the Roos meant business, Randall buried them moments into the second term. The imposing Roo used all of her body strength to barrel Eleanor Brown off the ball on the half-forward flank, clearing the way for Wall to gallop into an unguarded goal. In a closely-fought contest it was an important statement of intent.

What the coach said

"We thought it was far closer to the four-quarter performance that we've been searching for. We've just had moments in games that have let us down in the first four rounds. For large parts of that game we were really challenged - they (Bulldogs) weren't 4-0 for no reason. We had the game looking the way we'd like it to." - North Melbourne coach Darren Crocker

What's next?

The Kangaroos return to their Arden St home for the first time this season to host AFLW newcomers Sydney. The Swans will be desperate to put a stamp on their inaugural season by springing an upset, while the Roos will be determined to deliver in front of the North faithful. Bouncedown is at 5.10pm AEST on Sunday, October 2.

WESTERN BULLDOGS         2.1   2.1   3.4   4.4 (28)
NORTH MELBOURNE          1.2   2.4   4.4   6.7 (43)

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Wilcox 2, Cranston, Moody
North Melbourne: Abbatangelo, Craven, Eddey, E King, Randall, Wall

BEST
Western Bulldogs: Edmonds, Berry, Georgostathis, Blackburn
North Melbourne: Garner, Bresnehan, Wright, Bruton

INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Nil
North Melbourne: Nil

Reports: Nil