North Melbourne returns to Marvel Stadium on Sunday afternoon after a disappointing Round 17 trip to Geelong.

Despite a promising opening burst at GMHBA Stadium, the Roos headed home with a 62-point loss as the Cats proved too classy on their home deck.

This week, interim coach Brett Ratten's group faces a Hawthorn outfit that was resolute in its 13-point defeat to the Giants.

The opposition

Hawthorn heads to Marvel Stadium sitting 16th on the ladder but has managed to knock off some clubs with genuine top-four aspirations. 

A big afternoon from James Sicily saw the Hawks roll the Saints back in Round 11, and in Round 13 they took down premiership contenders Brisbane by 25 points at the MCG. However, Sam Mitchell's side currently finds itself on a three-match skid after losses to Gold Coast, Carlton and GWS post-bye. 

Midfielder Jai Newcombe is in form after collecting 28 disposals, nine clearances and eight score involvements against the Giants, while fellow onballer James Worpel has been one of Hawthorn's best this season, averaging 25.6 disposals and 6.1 clearances per game. 

Finn Maginness also looms as a potential challenge for one of North Melbourne's midfielders, after the young tagger held Giant Josh Kelly to just the six touches last week.

The magnets

The Roos will need to find replacements for co-captain Jy Simpkin (concussion) and key defender Griffin Logue (knee) heading into Sunday.

Midfielders George Wardlaw and Liam Shiels could both be recalled after missing Round 17, while Will Phillips also shapes as a potential inclusion after gathering 30 disposals in the VFL.

A solid run in the VFL for Kallan Dawson may see him come in for Logue, unless Brett Ratten and the match committee opt for a smaller alternative like Miller Bergman or Josh Goater, who both impressed in Sunday's reserves' win over Geelong.

What the coaches have said

Interim North Melbourne coach Brett Ratten post-game v Geelong: "I thought in that first quarter we took a step backwards. The second quarter was okay … but to fight back and be competitive (in that second half) showed there's good resilience. There's some little wins we have had, but we're not accepting the losses, especially 10-goal losses which aren't healthy for anyone."

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell post-game v GWS: "The last two weeks we've been very disappointed in what we've produced, and this week (we're) disappointed because that's the top range (of) what we're capable of at the minute and we just weren’t quite good enough. It was a game that came down to key moments and they were just a bit too good in a couple of those, but we gave ourselves a lot of chances and unfortunately, we just weren’t polished enough to finish them off. A much-improved performance, but still disappointed."

Last time we met

Hawthorn 11.14 (80) def. North Melbourne 9.7 (61), Round 3, 2023 at UTAS Stadium 

Heading south for the first time in 2023, the Roos and Hawks clashed in Round 3 in Launceston.

The Kangaroos were already missing co-captain Jy Simpkin due to suspension as they targeted a third straight win to open the season, and lost star midfielder Luke Davies-Uniacke before the bounce to a calf complaint. 

Conversely Hawthorn was hunting its first win for the year and deployed an uncontested game style that the Kangas struggled to overcome. 

Five unanswered goals saw North Melbourne rally late, but a Tyler Brockman goal midway through the final term allowed the Hawks to steady and finish 19-point winners.

Harry Sheezel collected 26 disposals and seven marks, while Griffin Logue notched 16 touches and 11 intercept possessions in defence.