The North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos will make the trek to Adelaide for the second time this season to challenge expansion club Port Adelaide.

A narrow seven-point loss last Saturday evening has left North in seventh spot on the ladder after imprecise kicking in front of goal allowed Brisbane to hold onto the short lead it established in the first term.

Despite having a healthy percentage, this Round 8 clash in Alberton is shaping up as a must-win for the Roos who undoubtedly still have a top-four finish on their minds.

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

Set your matchday reminders

Saturday, October 15
Port Adelaide v North Melbourne at Alberton Oval, 12.40pm ACDT (1.10pm AEDT)

The Roos and Power will meet for the first time in AFLW history on Saturday afternoon, but it's fair to say that both sides will have differing expectations.

Up against a formidable Brisbane line-up in Round 7, Darren Crocker's side was bordering on making a significant statement to the rest of competition, but chances down forward went begging and the Lions prevailed in the hard-fought clash.

North played plenty of positive football while under pressure however and will have the opportunity to right the ship in terms of results when it takes on the Power.

Port also struggled to convert shots on goal over the past weekend, booting one goal and 10 behinds in its 13-point defeat to fellow expansion club Hawthorn.

Erin Phillips was one of the best in the loss with 15 disposals and four clearances, but it was the captain who was also one of the main inaccurate goalkicking culprits, kicking zero goals and three behinds.

The Power was the better side at stoppages, winning the count 27-20, but that type of advantage may be short lived considering the talent of North midfield trio Jas Garner, Ash Riddell and Jenna Bruton.

After beating Sydney a fortnight ago, will the Roos go 2-0 against another expansion side in Season 7?

Buying a ticket

Whether you're an Adelaide-based North fan or you're travelling to Alberton to follow the Kangaroos, make sure to get a ticket to support the team at the ground.

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 Pride Round!

Looking to notch a fifth win for Season 7, the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos will enter unknown territory on Saturday afternoon as they encounter Port Adelaide at Alberton Oval for the first time.

Currently amongst the clubs jostling for a spot in the top eight, the Kangaroos will enter Pride Round with a record of four wins and three losses after falling to the Lions by seven points last week.

Port Adelaide also came away from its Round 7 bout empty-handed, going down to fellow expansion side Hawthorn by 13 points in Frankston.

The Power have experienced moments of expected hardship in their debut season, but the club has shown on several occasions that they have the capacity to put an opposition to the sword – like they did in their 66-point win over the Swans in Round 4.

Here are three narratives to keep an eye on for our upcoming game in Adelaide.

Milestone magic

Jenna Bruton's AFLW career to date has been jam-packed full of highlights and this week, she reaches the 50-game milestone.

Since debuting for the Western Bulldogs in the inaugural AFLW season, Bruton has become a premiership player for the Bulldogs (2018) and the the Roos' maiden best and fairest recipient.

Bruton has also experienced several roles over her career but has recently been used by Darren Crocker as a hybrid midfielder.

When on the wing, she is able to damage oppositions with her pinpoint disposal and around stoppages she has the ability to win the contested ball and propel the side forward.

The 26-year-old enjoyed a purple patch of form across Rounds 4 and 5 this season where she racked up a combined 44 disposals, 10 marks and 14 coaches' votes for the AFLW Champion Player of the Year Award.

Bruton will become the fifth Roo to play 50 games and fourth in Season 7, following in the path of Emma Kearney (R1), Jasmine Garner (R1) and Emma King (R2).

Rectifying Round 7

Both clubs experienced eerily similar fates in their respective Round 7 contests.

North Melbourne against Brisbane and Port Adelaide against Hawthorn were made to rue their inaccurate form in front of goal as each side succumbed to frustrating defeats.

Despite recording the second most inside 50s for the round amongst all clubs (43), the Roos booted 3.8, while the Power could only muster 1.10 from their 32 entries at SkyBus Stadium.

Although chances went begging, Tahlia Randall still caused headaches for the Lions' defence and was prolific in contested marking situations, clunking four of them.

She's sure to have opportunities aplenty come Saturday and will be out to make amends so prepare yourselves for a Randall redemption.

Four points are a prerequisite

To the Kangaroos' credit, they responded to a 1-2 start with aplomb by claiming three wins on the trot, but the side again finds itself in a must-win situation.

The loss to Brisbane saw North Melbourne slide to seventh on the ladder and with just three games remaining, the Roos are at risk of dropping out of the top eight.

Some worries can be laid to rest on Saturday if the side can claim the four points before winnable, but unpredictable, fixtures against current fellow top-eight sides Collingwood and Richmond come to the forefront.

Nevertheless, the Roos currently sit with a healthy percentage and if they can attain three wins from their next three games then a potential top-four finish may re-enter the equation.

The North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos have kept their top-four hopes alive after holding off a strong challenge from expansion side Port Adelaide at Alberton Oval on Saturday.

The Kangaroos trailed by five points at quarter-time before their experience and class shone through, holding the Power goalless after half-time to celebrate Pride Round with a 25-point win. 

The 7.12 (54) to 4.5 (29) victory moves the Kangaroos (5-3) up to sixth on the ladder and only four premiership points behind second-placed Melbourne.

POWER v KANGAROOS Full match coverage and stats

Kangaroo champion Jas Garner continued her unstoppable season, kicking two goals alongside game-high tallies of 27 disposals and nine marks.

Ash Riddell and captain Emma Kearney had 21 and 20 disposals respectively, while youngster Alice O’Loughlin also booted two goals.

Power vice-captain Ange Foley and youngster Hannah Ewings had 16 disposals each.

The Power started strongly with a physical brand of football. Foley made the most of a breeze at her back with a 55m bomb that cleared the pack and bounced through for her side’s first goal.

Returning star Gemma Houghton – in her first game in six weeks after ankle surgery - and Justine Mules followed suit to give the Power a five-point advantage at quarter-time.

Garner put the Kangaroos back in front before ruck Emma King showed great poise to sidestep her opponent and kick the goal.

Power debutant Lily Johnson kicked truly with six seconds on the clock to narrow the deficit to three points at halftime.

Sophie Abbatangelo scored the only goal of a tight third quarter, before O’Loughlin’s second goal gave the Kangaroos some breathing room.

Did you see that?

Players more naturally nimble than 184cm Emma King would be proud to replicate her second quarter goal; the big ruck selling the dummy beautifully to wrongfoot her Power defender. King's prolific ruck partnership with Kim Rennie regularly gives the Roos first use at the stoppages, but her nine goals across the past two seasons have been every bit as valuable.

The difference

The Kangaroos threw captain Emma Kearney into the midfield at half-time to get some more dominance. The move had the desired effect, as the battle-hardened Kangaroos onballers started to get the upper hand around the ground against the Power’s youthful onball brigade.

Randall's radar restored

Strong contested grabs haven't been Tahlia Randall's issue in recent weeks so much as accuracy in front of goal. Her return of 0.3 hurt the Roos in last week's seven-point loss to Brisbane, so when she took another pack mark 35m from goal in the first quarter against Port there was pressure on the result. It's hard to know whether Randall or her teammates were more delighted when the Sherrin passed over the goal umpire's head. 

What's next?

A pair of crunch games against top five teams to close out the home-and-away season for the Kangaroos. Collingwood awaits next Saturday, October 22 at Victoria Park, followed by a clash with Richmond on home turf at Arden St on Sunday, October 30.

PORT ADELAIDE                 3.1   4.2   4.3   4.5 (29)
NORTH MELBOURNE          2.2   4.5   5.8   7.12 (54)

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Foley, Houghton, Johnson, Mules
North Melbourne: Garner 2, O'Loughlin 2, Abbatangelo, E King, Randall

BEST 
Port Adelaide: Foley, O’Dea, Phillips, Boag, Surman, Yorston
North Melbourne: Garner, Kearney, Riddell, M King, Abbatangelo, Brown 

INJURIES 
Nil

LATE CHANGES
Nil

Reports: Nil