The North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos are hosting a qualifying final at Arden Street. There’s something about that sentence that just feels meant to be.

Both North Melbourne and opponents Fremantle have had strong home and away campaigns to lead them to this point at the business end of the season. Here are some of the big questions heading into Saturday’s clash.

Will the head-to-head form prevail?

Since North Melbourne’s introduction into the competition in 2019, both North and Fremantle have been two of the most consistently strong sides in the competition. That’s why it may be hard to believe they’ve clashed just twice in the history of AFLW.

Both games have been won by the Kangaroos, both games have been Kangaroos home games, and both games were won by a combined margin of just 11 points.

The first of these two games was a famous one-point victory for North Melbourne at Arden Street, with that win securing finals football for the team in royal blue and white in 2021.

In the home and away clash this season though, the Kangaroos destroyed a previously unbeaten Dockers side around the contest to emerge as 10-point victors.

Can the Roos make it three from three against the team from the west?

Can the unbeaten Arden Street record continue?

Since its first AFLW game at Arden Street in 2020, North Melbourne has gone undefeated at its spiritual home, a record it will hope can stay intact this weekend.

Fremantle have come the closest to toppling North at home in that aforementioned one-point game from 2021.

The Kangaroos have an average winning margin of 15 points from its five victories at the venue.

Hopefully North Melbourne can continue its scoring prowess at home to set up a meeting with Adelaide next week.

Is the Kangaroos forward hoodoo broken?

If there’s one area North Melbourne has struggled in season 2022, it’s been in the forward third of the ground.

Consistently inefficient forward entries have seen a number of wins remain closer than they should have, and inaccurate goalkicking has seen the Kangaroos kick themselves out of games against high-quality opposition.

While West Coast did finish on the bottom of the ladder, the consistent ability of the Kangaroos forward line to take marks inside 50 last week was pleasing, while nine goals out of 14 scoring shots is a vast improvement in accuracy over recent weeks.

Emma King, Tahlia Randall, Daria Bannister and Jas Garner each kicked two goals, while Sophie Abbatangelo kicked one to showcase the number of options North Melbourne used throughout the game.

Throw in Alice O’Loughlin’s two goals in VFLW action as she searches for a senior recall, and suddenly you have a number of confident forwards heading into what is the biggest game of the season so far.

Which midfield will reign supreme?

There’s no doubting the most high-quality lines of both these teams is the midfield.

On one hand you have a record-breaking Ash Riddell and superstar Jas Garner supplemented by the likes of a resurgent Jenna Bruton, Rising Star nominee Mia King and the rapidly improving Ellie Gavalas.

On the other hand, you have a contested machine in Kiara Bowers fresh off a 17-tackle performance against the Suns alongside the likes of hardened competitors Hayley Miller and Gabby O’Sullivan.

Bowers’ absence was strongly felt in the Round 6 clash between these two sides. Does her inclusion tip the scale in the balance of the Dockers?