The North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos are set to have their first game at Arden Street Oval for Season 7 as they host the Brisbane Lions.

Round 6 saw the Roos dominate the Swans in every facet of the game to record a 66-point victory, the largest winning margin the club has achieved since entering the competition.

The victory has North Melbourne knocking on the door of the top four as it looks to extend its winning streak.

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

Set your matchday reminders

Saturday, October 8
North Melbourne v Brisbane at Arden Street Oval, 5.10pm AEDT

After knocking off the Bulldogs in a highly combative affair in Round 5, the Kangaroos followed it up by dismantling an inexperienced Swans, keeping them goalless for the evening and scoreless after quarter-time last Sunday.

Jas Garner, yet again, was one of the best afield in the royal blue and white collecting 18 disposals, 10 tackles and two goals, while Ash Riddell starred with seven inside 50s and a game-high 25 touches.

This week will be a much tougher test however, with the Lions eager to remain in the top two on the ladder.

Despite its inaccuracy in front of goal in Round 6, Brisbane had little trouble overcoming Essendon at Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex, triumphing 8.14 (62) to 3.0 (18) to reach five wins for the season.

In the ever-changing weather conditions, the Lions shot out to a 30-point half-time lead and managed to keep the Bombers scoreless until late in the third term.

Brisbane ruck Tahlia Hickie and midfielder Emily Bates gained the ascendancy around the contest early and played massive roles in paving the way for the win.

Hickie finished with 31 hitouts and a goal while Bates gathered 19 disposals and nine clearances.

Will North claim a significant scalp as the home and away season approaches its conclusion?

Get your ticket to Arden Street

Make sure you get down to Arden Street Oval for the team's first game at the venue for Season 7!

You can buy tickets for the game here.

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 7!

Both the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos and Brisbane Lions made potent statements at the expense of two expansion clubs last week, but now will face each other in a heavyweight clash.

Coming off a couple of gritty wins against fellow top-eight contenders Geelong and the Western Bulldogs, the Kangaroos flexed their muscles at Punt Road Oval to power past the Swans by 66 points in Round 6.

Up in Moreton Bay, the Lions responded to their shock loss to Richmond with a 44-point win over the Bombers in fluctuating weather conditions.

Despite securing the four points, erratic goalkicking was again one of the key stories to emerge out of Brisbane's performance as it booted 14 behinds from 20 scoring shots.

Whether that form lingers or not will unfold on gameday, but regardless, the Lions remain a tough assignment and one that North will need to be extra prepared for.

Here are three narratives to take note of in the lead-up to Saturday.

Dominant defences

Backline contingents can sometimes be overlooked when comparing two dominant sides, but that won't be happening on this occasion.

The versatility of North's defensive unit is currently one of the main strengths of the group. Erika O'Shea has shone in the opening stages of her AFLW career with her pace and intent and unsung hero Jasmine Ferguson has been tremendous at consistently blanketing her direct opponents.

Round 6 Team of the Week defender Brooke Brown had her best game for the season using her speed to gather 17 disposals and eight intercepts against Sydney, while Sarah Wright is another member of the group that has been enjoying a productive season so far.

Across six matches, North has conceded just 115 total points while the Lions, led by All-Australian Nat Grider have been equivalently as stingy, conceding 119 points.

Neither side was required to stave off many result-threatening attacks last week, but it's fair to say both backlines will have more on their plates this Saturday.

Which forwards will fire?

Looking at the other end of the field now and which forwards are set to impose themselves on this crucial encounter?

Tahlia Randall not only reined in a massive grab at Punt Road Oval last Sunday, but she slotted three majors and continued to use her physicality to pave ways for her fellow forwards inside 50.

She will clearly be an important figure for North when going forward, as will Vikki Wall and Emma King who have also been able to regularly convert in front of goal this season.

As for the Lions, their tendency to change lanes quickly and effectively when progressing the ball from defence to attack has led to their forwards having plenty of shots on goal each week.

Key forward Jesse Wardlaw kicked two goals against the Bombers to take her season tally to 11, while Greta Bodey, despite finishing with 1.4 last time out, is always a threat around the big sticks.

With Brisbane and North racking up 45 and 41 inside 50s respectively in Round 6, it's likely that chances to impact the scorers won't be as abundant this time around, so it will be important for the Roos to capitalise on any scoring opportunities that unfold.

Time to claim a scalp

There aren't too many clubs in the AFLW that have the upper hand on the royal blue and white when it comes to the win-loss ledger, but Brisbane is one of them.

The Lions have won the only two meetings between the clubs, defeating North by 15 points in 2021 and by 36 points early this year in Season 6.

However, the Kangaroos will have the momentum from winning three games straight behind them, as well as the passionate Arden Street crowd by their side for the first time this season.

It's the perfect time to not only take a step towards evening up the overall head-to-head record, but to knock off a premiership contender too.

The Season 7 AFLW Pride Round will be held in Round 8, but North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos will use their Round 7 home game as an opportunity to celebrate the occasion with the club's community.

Brisbane has recorded an important seven-point victory over the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos, boosting its chances of a top-two finish.

The Roos appear to be starting to close the gap on the top echelon, but their own inaccuracy was their undoing in the 5.3 (33) to 3.8 (26) loss at Arden Street.

North Melbourne dominated large portions of the first quarter, but struggled to get deep and effective inside 50s, the Lions defence holding strong for the most part.

The Roos looked most threatening when sending the ball towards twin towers Emma King and Tahlia Randall, with Kate Lutkins the only genuine tall defender in the vicinity, but Randall once again struggled badly with accuracy, kicking three behinds in the first half.

Brisbane, by contrast, took full advantage of its opportunities in attack, kicking 3.1 from its 11 inside 50 entries in the first half, with Jesse Wardlaw a constant overhead threat, and took a two-point lead into half-time.

Talismanic Lions key Dakota Davidson finally saluted for her first goal of the season to open the third term – celebrating with style – but Emma Kearney put the captain's cape on, streaming forward to salute with a goal to keep the Roos in it.

Ally Anderson worked tirelessly all day for her 22 disposals and seven clearances, while Jas Garner was North Melbourne's most influential player with 20 disposals, six marks and three clearances.

Shannon Campbell had appeared to suffer a calf injury late in the match, but it was just cramp, while Zimmie Farquharson dislocated her pinkie finger in the second term but returned after half-time.

KANGAROOS v LIONS Full match coverage and stats

Midfield battle
These two sides have the starting midfields any team would be thrilled to have, with Ash Riddell, Jasmine Garner and Jenna Bruton going head to head with Emily Bates, Ally Anderson and Cathy Svarc. The ruck battle was its own interesting equation, seeing Emma King and Kim Rennie taking on Tahlia Hickie and Taylor Smith. The Lions comfortably had the edge in the midfield (clearances), overriding the slight edge the Roos had the in ruck.

Up next
Brisbane has a genuine belter on its hands, hosting fierce rival Adelaide at Metricon Stadium on Friday night. North Melbourne has a slightly easier assignment, travelling to Alberton Oval to face Port Adelaide.

NORTH MELBOURNE     1.2     2.5     3.6     3.8     (26)
BRISBANE                     2.0     3.1     5.3     5.3     (33)

GOALS
North Melbourne: E.King, Wall, Kearney
Brisbane: Hodder, Wardlaw, R.Svarc, Davidson, Bodey

BEST
North Melbourne: Garner, Riddell, Kearney, Bruton, E.King
Brisbane: Anderson, Bates, Dawes, Hickie, Davidson

INJURIES
North Melbourne: Nil
Brisbane: Farquharson (finger), Campbell (lower leg)