Having made a vast improvement on last year's campaign, the Kangaroos currently find themselves well in the mix for a 2023 finals berth.

Now 19 rounds deep, Tom Lynch's team has secured strong wins over Geelong, Williamstown and GWS among others en route to its 10-6 record, with two matches to play before the VFL's inaugural Wildcard Round kicks off the finals series.

A relatively healthy percentage of 118.4 – lower than just two sides below them (Footscray, Carlton) – has the Roos in good stead with the potential to rise as high as fifth if results fall their way. However, with Richmond (11th) and GWS (12th) still to play another three times, a finish outside the top 10 still lingers as a possible scenario.

Round 20 v Footscray Bulldogs

North Melbourne will head to ETU Stadium on Saturday afternoon for a date with an in-form Footscray line-up, pitting seventh (Kangaroos) against eighth (Bulldogs).

The Bulldogs will enter Round 20 on a seven-game winning streak and fresh off the bye, which followed a resounding 157-point win over the Northern Bullants at Preston City Oval.

Toby McLean ran rampant to notch 34 clearances, eight marks, eight clearances and three goals from six scoring shots, while Jordon Sweet dominated the ruck battle with 50 hitouts to go along with his two majors and 23 possessions.

After going on a stirring run to pick up six straight victories from late May to early July, North Melbourne will hope to put a quick end to a two-game skid having suffered defeats to premiership contenders Box Hill and Werribee over their past two matches.

Round 21 - Bye

The Roos will take their fourth and final bye of the season in Round 21 but will undoubtedly keep a close eye on those that hover over the remaining finals positions.

Notable matchups:
Brisbane v Williamstown, Brighton Homes Arena (QLD)
Collingwood v Geelong, Victoria Park (VIC)
Northern Bullants v GWS, Preston City Oval (VIC)
Box Hill v Footscray, Box Hill City Oval (VIC)
Port Melbourne v Richmond, ETU Stadium (VIC)
Carlton v Casey, IKON Park (VIC)

Round 22 v Richmond Tigers

 The Kangaroos will cap off the home-and-away season with a Sunday afternoon clash against Richmond at the Swinburne Centre.

On the brink of the top 10 prior to Round 20, the Tigers have claimed a pair of hard-fought victories over the past month, including a dramatic one-point win over the Lions that saw Jacob Bauer slot a game-winning set shot after the final siren.

A late fightback in Round 19 saw them come close to knocking off Box Hill. AFL-listed forward Noah Cumberland booted six goals and Judson Clarke collected 19 disposals and a goal, but the Hawks managed to depart Punt Road with a three-point win.

They'll face Williamstown and Port Melbourne over the next two weeks in tough but winnable fixtures, before hosting the Roos in Round 22.

The AFL has confirmed that the 2023 VFL Grand Final will take place at IKON Park on Sunday, September 24 unless two Queensland-based teams are competing. In the event of two Queensland-based teams reaching the big dance, the match will be played on the same date but at Brighton Homes Arena.

For all other finals, the highest-ranked team will have the option to host the final, but will need to take AFLW fixtures into account.

2023 VFL Finals Series Structure

Wildcard Round
Saturday, August 26 and/or Sunday, August 27
Wildcard Game One: 7th vs 10th
Wildcard Game Two: 8th vs 9th

Qualifying and Elimination Finals
Saturday, September 2 and/or Sunday, September 3
First Qualifying Final: 1st vs 4th
Second Qualifying Final: 2nd vs 3rd
First Elimination Final: 5th vs Lowest-ranked Wildcard Round winner (becomes 8th)
Second Elimination Final: 6th vs Highest-ranked Wildcard Round winner (becomes 7th)

Semi Finals
Saturday, September 9 and/or Sunday, September 10
First Semi Final: Loser of First Qualifying Final vs Winner of First Elimination Final
Second Semi Final: Loser of Second Qualifying Final vs Winner of Second Elimination Final

Preliminary Finals
Saturday, September 16
First Preliminary Final: Winner of First Qualifying Final vs Winner of Second Semi Final
Second Preliminary Final: Winner of Second Qualifying Final vs Winner of First Semi Final

Grand Final
Sunday, September 24
Grand Final: Winner of First Preliminary Final vs Winner of Second Preliminary Final

Wildcard Round

Wildcard Round will feature two matches. The team that finishes the home-and-away season in seventh position on the ladder will play the team that finishes 10th, while eighth will take on ninth.

The highest-ranked winner in Wildcard Round will advance to the second elimination final as the seventh-placed team, with the lowest-ranked winner in Wildcard Round to progress to the first elimination final as the eighth-placed team.

The top-six teams on the ladder at the conclusion of the season will have a bye during Wildcard Round and will advance directly through to either a qualifying final or elimination final.