The North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos will be looking to bounce back from two consecutive defeats as they host a fifth-placed Cats line-up in a must-win affair.

After entering the competition at the same time in the 2019 season, the Roos have had their way with Geelong each of the three times the sides have met.

With an average winning margin of just under 39 points, this time around is expected to serve as a much more captivating contest between two clubs fighting for finals positions.

Like North, Geelong will also be eager to return to the winners list after suffering a narrow four-point loss to Collingwood last Saturday.

Here are three narratives to follow in Friday night's clash.

Undefeated in Van Diemen's Land

North Melbourne has had no trouble walking off Tasmanian playing surfaces with four points in their back pocket.

In fact, the club hasn't lost a game in the Apple Isle since entering the competition three years ago.

As it stands, the Roos have won all eight games they've played in Tasmania and have managed to defeat the Western Bulldogs (2019), GWS Giants (2020) and Carlton (2021) to maintain a perfect record at UTAS Stadium.

The stadium's sizeable deck lends itself well to the way North prefer to play, so if the Roos can get their free-flowing game style running early then the Tassie streak will be set to continue.

Stoppage supremacy

Across the first three weeks of Season 7, Geelong has risen to become one of the better clearance teams in the competition.

The Cats have edged their opponents in the clearance count by an average of four per game this season, with Amy McDonald leading the way with six a game and teammate Georgie Prespakis averaging five.

However, North has the great equaliser in Jasmine Garner who has started this season in red-hot form with 26 AFLCA AFLW Champion Player of the Year Award votes.

The star midfielder currently has 23 clearances to her name and will undoubtedly have a massive role to play in the engine room once again on Friday night.

She'll be complemented by the likes of Jenna Bruton and Mia King, as well as Ash Riddell who racked up 35 touches last time out against the Cats.

Stingy defence

Another aspect of Geelong's game that has stood out so far is their commendable ability to defend and pressure the opposition.

The Cats have conceded just 27 total points from their three outings this season and managed to hold Fremantle to a solitary point from four quarters back in Round 2.

Despite not prevailing a week ago, they gave themselves the best chance to snatch a win in the tight encounter by holding a strong Pies outfit to 15 points.

With six goals over the past two matches, it's fair to say the Roos have struggled to produce match-winning scores. But on a bigger ground against a side that they've outplayed before, a clicking forward line may not be too far away.