It's truly do-or-die time for the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos who travel to Geelong to square off with the Cats in an elimination final on Saturday night.

The Roos set out to clinch to a double chance in Round 10, but a draw with Richmond saw them slip to eighth position on the eve of finals.

After falling behind in the first quarter, North began to gradually lift its pressure but was unable to put the Tigers to the sword as inaccuracy in front of goal once again haunted Darren Crocker's side.

Despite finishing ahead in the inside-50 count (35-22), the Roos could only muster three goals and nine behinds in a display that was only a week removed from a clinical attacking performance against Collingwood.

Geelong, on the other hand, dropped the second highest AFLW score in history as it thumped the Swans at GMHBA Stadium 102-27 while going at 75.9 per cent in terms of disposal efficiency.

For the Kangaroos' biggest game of the year so far, here are three narratives to take note of as they look to lock in a semi-final spot.

Last time out

North Melbourne adapted promptly and efficiently to the slippery, wet-weather conditions back when the two sides met in Round 4, to take down the Cats by two goals.

Playing direct football and gaining ground wherever possible, the Roos went into half-time with a 3.4 (22) to 0.2 (2) lead and managed to hold Geelong goalless until Laura Gardiner sent one through the big sticks 11 minutes into the third term.

Jenna Bruton starred in the blue and white stripes, gathering 24 disposals and five tackles, while teammate Ash Riddell found the footy 26 times.

In the hoops, Amy McDonald and Georgie Prespakis combined for 58 disposals and 15 clearances, but their stoppage supremacy wasn't enough to get the Cats over the line in Tasmania.

The victory extended North's unbeaten streak to four wins against Geelong, but should a fifth arise on Saturday night it will likely become the pick of the bunch.

Fit for the throne

It can be difficult to shine in a midfield that contains Jas Garner, Ash Riddell, Bruton and Emma King, but 21-year-old Mia King has been able to do just that.

A reliable inside midfielder, King has recently flicked a switch and taken her game to another level.

Round 9 against the Pies saw her enjoy one of her best outings for the year as she collected a season-high 21 disposals as well as five tackles and four marks.

She followed it up with arguably a better performance against Richmond a week later, garnering 20 touches, six clearances and six tackles all from just 57 per cent game time.

While she remains a key member of North Melbourne's future in the AFLW, what she is providing in the present both on defence and now more so with ball in hand is extremely valuable to a side looking to make an impact this November.

Which sharpshooter will reign supreme?

North Melbourne's Tahlia Randall and Geelong's Chloe Scheer are two forwards that possess the X-factor necessary to break a game open.

Since moving from defence to attack, Randall has become a notable contested marking machine.

The ever-present threat uses her strength to perfection in marking situations each week and has been able to boot 10 goals for the season off the back of a league-topping 19 contested marks.

Not only does Randall pose as a dangerous forward close to goal, but her ability to come up high and be a reliable target for rebounding defenders often flies under the radar.

Her Geelong sharpshooting counterpart will enter Saturday's elimination final after slotting four majors against Sydney to take her season total to 13.

The opportunistic small forward had a slow start around goals during the opening month of Season 7 but has managed to kick at least one goal a game for the past six week.

Despite not being overly tall, Scheer has taken 17 contested marks for the season and a league-high 21 marks inside 50 with Randall one spot behind (20).

Expect these two players to feature heavily throughout Saturday night as both look to play a key role in propelling their respective sides to a semi-final.