Like its senior counterpart, North Melbourne's VFL side travels north to Brisbane to take on the Lions this weekend.

A stirring Round 1 victory over Williamstown will give the Kangaroos mountains of confidence heading into the clash, however coach Leigh Adams will be conscious not to allow his side to repeat the fourth-quarter fadeout of last week, which saw the Seagulls kick five goals to one in the final term.

Brisbane enters the game aiming for its first win of the season, after falling to Carlton by 42 points last week at Ikon Park.

The Lions struggled to create scoring opportunities against the Blues and often couldn't convert them when they became available, kicking five goals and 12 behinds throughout the contest.

Strong VFL performances from Jaidyn Stephenson and Eddie Ford have seen the pair called up to the seniors for this weekend's action, while the inclusions in their place are headlined by co-captain Kade Answerth coming in to play his first game of the campaign.

Firing young forwards

It's often said that one of the most telling ways to judge if an AFL side is performing well is to look at its reserves. With that in mind, the Kangaroos' forward stocks look to be well equipped and incredibly exciting in this early stage of the year.

Of the Kangaroos' 15 goals against Williamstown, 13 were kicked by AFL-listed talent. Ford kicked five, Charlie Comben, Flynn Perez and Paul Curtis kicked two each, while Jacob Edwards and Callum Coleman-Jones finished with one goal apiece.

The average age of those six goalkickers is under 20, with Coleman-Jones being the oldest at just 22.

Playing against strong, experienced men can be a difficult transition for young forwards, however the Kangaroos' young group seems to be tackling the challenge brilliantly.

Hore's defensive influence

One thing North Melbourne's VFL program was lacking last season was an experienced, level head in defence. With Marty Hore joining the ranks this season, that weakness has turned into one of the team's strengths.

The former Demon trained with the Kangaroos' AFL program over pre-season before joining the VFL side. He knows the players, he knows the coaches, he knows the game plan and he knows the level.

Hore was an effective influence in the back half of the ground against Williamstown, and often set the pace of the game with his measured ball use and efficient disposal. He finished with 22 touches and three tackles across the game.

While Hore has been named on the interchange this week, the potential for AFL emergencies Kyron Hayden and Aiden Bonar to be called up late could see him start the game in the heart of defence. Either way, he's primed for another influential performance in royal blue and white.

>> The game will be streamed LIVE on AFL.com.au and the AFL Live Official App

Saturday, April 2

Brisbane v North Melbourne at Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex, 1.05pm AEST (2.05pm AEDT)

NORTH MELBOURNE

B: 41. M McGuinness, 15. A Bosenavulagi, 34. J Archer
HB: 27. Miller Bergman, 16. A Bonar, 31. J Goater
C: 33. P Walker, 37. K Hayden, 39. F Perez
HF: 75. C Weightman, 46. D Tyson, 47. M Walker
F: 25. P Curtis, 30. C Comben, 32. J Edwards
R: 21. C Coleman-Jones, 49. H Jones, 54. Kade Answerth
I/C: 52. S. Collins, 53. M Hore, 56. Y Dib, 61. M Mitchell-Russell, 70. J Watkins

23rd Player: 56. Y Dib

Emg: 50. H Dick, 59. J Lipscombe, 60. J Guthrie, 68. D Stone