The North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos will have an opportunity to reach their maiden AFLW Grand Final when they challenge Melbourne at Ikon Park in a preliminary final.

Inspired by a determined Jas Garner, the Roos continued their undefeated streak at Punt Road Oval and sent Richmond out of finals in straight sets last week, thanks to a resounding six-goal victory.

North moved the ball effectively and worked hard to control possession throughout the semi-final, finishing with 14 more uncontested possessions and 33 more marks than the Tigers.

Picking apart Melbourne's defensive structure in a methodical manner may to prove a tougher task, however, which is going to make winning the contested ball at the source all the more important considering the talent both clubs possess in the midfield.

Headed by captain Daisy Pearce, the Demons will enter the prelim refreshed after a 21-point qualifying final win over Adelaide granted them a week off.

They had to overcome a shaky start however, having conceded three goals in the opening quarter while failing to kick a major themselves.

With the premiership enticingly close, here are three narratives to keep an eye on as the Roos look to book a spot in the Season 7 AFLW Grand Final.

Last time out  

The Kangaroos were left heartbroken after a frantic final quarter saw them jump in front thanks to an opportunistic second Emma King goal, only for the Demons to retake the lead minutes later through Alyssa Bannan to subsequently claim a two-point victory at the MCG in Round 2, 3.8 (26) to 4.0 (24).

It was King in her 50th game who got the Roos off to the perfect start with a well-converted set shot in the opening minutes, and despite Melbourne pushing their lead out to 11 points midway through the third term in a low-scoring affair, North's resilience kept it in the contest until the final stages.

Outside of a couple of lapses in the second quarter, North Melbourne's defence predominantly outsmarted the Demons' attack. Sarah Wright was able to clamp down on Pearce after she booted her side's first two goals, while fellow key defender Jasmine Ferguson remained calm and composed in the face of pressure.

Star midfielders Ash Riddell and Jas Garner had no problems finding the pill across the MCG's wide surface. Riddell led all comers in both disposals and tackles with 26 and eight respectively, while Garner was immense when it came to clearing stoppages, finishing with 10 clearances from her 22 touches.

The match also saw Kim Rennie take another step towards becoming one of the best rucks in the AFLW. The return of her presence in the elimination final against Geelong was notable from the first bounce and she'll undoubtedly play a crucial role in North's engine room on Saturday.

Forward dynamos

North Melbourne's attacking contingent needed to fire against the Tigers, and it did emphatically.

Spearheaded by key forward Tahlia Randall and ruck/forward Emma King, the Kangaroos' forward line always contains an aerial threat, but when their small/medium fleet starts regularly getting their hands on the footy inside 50, it becomes a huge issue for oppositions.

Like Randall and King, Sophie Abbatangelo has the ability to take a strong contested mark but can also get dangerous at ground level, while winger-turned-forward Bella Eddey and the spry Alice O'Loughlin have become threatening smalls when not paid enough attention.

Ellie Gavalas is another clever, hard-working forward evidenced by a play in the second term against the Tigers that saw her continue North's goalkicking flurry after shrewdly intercepting a Jess Hosking handball.

If the Roos can consistently get on top of the contested possessions early and generate regular entries inside 50, then throwing Jas Garner down forward sporadically could be a handy scheme to run after she looked unstoppable in one-on-one situations close to goal last week.

North Melbourne girls are hard to beat…

There's been a lot of conversation about whether North have reached the level of the widely considered 'top three clubs' of Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne, and Saturday serves as perhaps the most significant opportunity to further verify that it does.

A shift in mentality to begin Season 7 has seen North take another step towards bridging the gap between itself and the aforementioned trio of clubs, while also continuing to stay above the likes of the Tigers and Cats in the food chain.

With its sturdy backline, star-studded midfield, energised forward line and overall mix of versatility, North has consistently proven to be difficult side to play against throughout this campaign.

The Kangaroos may be taking on the 'underdog' moniker considering the differing routes each side has taken to reach the preliminary finals, but that isn't going to stop those in the royal blue and white who are currently bursting with confidence.