The Kangaroos return to their home deck this week and welcome top-four side St Kilda for a head-to-head battle under the Marvel Stadium roof.

While the Saints, under new coach Ross Lyon, sit comfortably with a 5-2 record, North Melbourne will be hoping to put an end to its five-game losing streak in front of its home crowd.

With Round 8 approaching, make sure you're prepared with this week's gameday guide.

Set your matchday reminders

Sunday, May 7
North Melbourne v St Kilda at Marvel Stadium, 4.40pm AEST 

Both clubs will be out to rectify their Round 7 performances on Sunday night, with the Saints falling to Port Adelaide by seven points last Friday and the Demons proving too strong for the Roos on the Saturday evening.

So you don't miss the game, or any others this season, make sure to sync the fixture to you calendar.

Ticketing

Tickets are still available for the Round 8 clash with the Saints.

What time do gates open?

Gates open at 3pm.

Social Club and Premiership Club members: when using your ticket, you can enter the ground via Gates 1, 3, or 7.

General Admission members and ticket holders can enter via any gate.

For any membership enquiries or to pick up your member choice item, our friendly staff will be located outside Gate 2.

Roo Shop locations are:
Outside Gate 4
Level 1, inside Gate 7
Level 2, inside Gate 6
Level 3, Aisle 30

>> For more details on your membership, head to our Member Hub.

Getting to Marvel Stadium

Transport information getting to and from the Marvel can be found here.

Single lane closure on Wurundjeri Way - allow for extra travel time: Wurundjeri Way has single lane closures between Dudley Street and Collins Street, northbound and southbound, until late October 2023 due to works carried out by the West Gate Tunnel Project.

Car park entrances C, D & E along Wurundjeri Way will remain open and will be available during this period.

Gameday Hub

This is your one-stop shop for all gameday activities. There are competitions, games, activations, raffles and more to keep you busy until the game starts.

>> Check it out NOW

Be a part of history as we target beyond 50k members in 2023

The Kangaroos' journey continues in 2023, and we're looking to surpass last year's club record 50,000 members as Alastair Clarkson's team continues its path towards silverware.

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 phone

Sunday's game will be broadcast live on Foxtel and Kayo Sports.

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 @NMFCOfficial accounts on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date with everything happening at the match and don't forget to use #Kangas.
 
Bring on Round 8!

An encounter with the 5-2 Saints awaits North Melbourne who returns to Marvel Stadium for the first time since Round 4.

Both clubs will enter off losses but have endured contrasting 2023 seasons so far. St Kilda has announced itself as a flag contender, while the Kangaroos have struggled despite making a promising start.

However, being back in front of the Shinboner faithful may provide the boost the Roos need to straighten the ship as the campaign's midway point quickly approaches.

The opposition

Reinvented under new coach Ross Lyon, the Saints have been one of the surprise packages of the competition so far this season.

They have built their strong start off the back of the stout defensive structure that comes with playing under Lyon, conceding just 440 points over the first seven rounds – the least of any club.

Small forwards Jack Higgins, Dan Butler and Jade Gresham have risen in Max King's absence, kicking 24 goals combined for the year while being well complemented by youngster Mitch Owens who has booted 12 of his own.

After suffering a seven-point loss to Port Adelaide, the Saints will be eager to respond on Sunday in their third straight game under the Marvel roof.

What the coaches have said

North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson post-game v Melbourne: "Every side has injuries. I was talking to 'Simmo' (Adam Simpson), and it was horrific what happened West Coast about three weeks ago when they lost six or seven blokes in one game and five or six of them were long term.

"It's tough yards but we'll roll up the sleeves up and get to work. We've got some good kids, we know the vision of where we want to go and what we need to do and it's just going to take some time.

"And you're going to come up against sides like Melbourne – a highly credentialed side – and I'd be very surprised if they're not challenging for the flag in September.

"Usually when you lose a game by 15 goals you haven’t been able to get the ball inside 50 and you've been smashed at clearances, but we competed in different areas of the game really well. (Melbourne) out of a half chance it would make a full chance, and out of a full opportunity for us we'd turn it into a half or quarter chance."

St Kilda coach Ross Lyon on Wednesday: "We expect a fierce response (from the Kangaroos). They’ve got a fierce coach. The fundamental mantra is the last result doesn’t count for the next, otherwise we wouldn’t have a season and the results would be pre-determined."

Back in business

It may be tough to find many positives in last Saturday's game, but young gun Harry Sheezel was one of them.

The No.3 2022 draft pick was tagged out of the contest against the Suns in Round 6, gaining just 11 disposals after a prolific opening five weeks off half-back, but bounced back on a trying night for his side in Round 7.

The 18-year-old collected 30 disposals and 11 marks in the disappointing defeat and tallied 25 pressure acts on the defensive end – equal-third most for the game (Liam Shiels – 36, Jy Simpkin – 26, Tom Sparrow – 25).

North Melbourne will need Sheezel at his best or close to it on Sunday as the team's defensive unit looks to shut down St Kilda's dynamic, attacking line-up.

Last time we met

North Melbourne couldn’t keep up with St Kilda in the latest hitout between the clubs, with the latter claiming a 53-point win after leading at every change in Round 11, 2022.

The Kangaroos managed to top the Saints in clearances 44-32, but failed to use their midfield prowess to advantage, falling by 24 in the inside-50 count.

With 30 hitouts, 16 disposals, two goals, a Mark of the Year contender, and one AFLCA Champion Player of the Year Award vote, veteran ruckman Todd Goldstein was best afield for North Melbourne, ably supported by Jy Simpkin (29 disposals, 10 clearances, one goal).

North Melbourne has gone down to St Kilda by 30 points in a scrappy affair at Marvel Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Saints captain Jack Steele (20 disposals, nine clearances) and physical ruckman Rowan Marshall (21, five) steered the Saints to an 8.16 (64) to 4.10 (34) triumph, with Dan Butler and Jack Higgins kicking two goals apiece.

However, Marshall finished the match on the bench with ice on his left ankle after Jade Gresham had already been substituted out with a sore knee and hand.

The result reaffirmed the Ross Lyon-coached Saints' (6-2) spot in the top four after losses in two of their previous three matches.

The Kangaroos kicked 0.7 from 22 forward entries in the first half, the first time they had been goalless at the main break since Round 12, 1979.

Nick Larkey eventually broke the drought at the three-minute mark of the third quarter and booted his second four minutes later, cutting the margin to 10 points.

But the Saints steadied with three of the next four goals and fought out a scrappy win.

KANGAROOS v SAINTS Full match coverage and stats

Mattaes Phillipou provided a rare highlight when he soared over teammate Brad Crouch and Darcy Tucker for a huge final-quarter mark.

Tucker was also on the receiving end of a huge bump from Jack Sinclair.

North Melbourne spearhead Larkey finished with three goals, all in the third quarter, and young star Harry Sheezel gathered 30 disposals in another strong display.

Larkey's two goals at the start of the second half gave the Kangaroos genuine hope, but a 50-metre penalty against Jy Simpkin allowed Mitch Owens to steady for the Saints, who held their opponents at bay.

Drury's not out on new Roo

When a club is rebuilding fans love nothing more than seeing young talent get a run, and North supporters will have been happy with what they saw from Blake Drury in his debut game. The red-headed small forward’s first touch was greeted with applause from the Roos faithful and he must have liked the sound of it, going on to get 13 disposals in a performance that suggests he will be very comfortable at the level for a long time.

NORTH MELBOURNE    0.4    0.7    3.7      4.10 (34)
ST KILDA                      1.6    3.9    6.15    8.16 (64)

GOALS
North Melbourne: Larkey 3, Stephenson
St Kilda: Butler 2, Higgins 2, Sinclair, Sharman, Owens, Wood

BEST
North Melbourne: Ziebell, McKay, Sheezel, Goldstein, Shiels
St Kilda: Wilkie, Steele, Clark, Owens, Marshall, Hill

INJURIES
North Melbourne: Nil
St Kilda: Marshall (Ankle), Gresham (knee)

SUBSTITUTES
North Melbourne: Lazzaro (replaced Cunnington at three-quarter time)
St Kilda: Bytel (replaced Gresham at three-quarter time)

Crowd: 22,065 at Marvel Stadium