Brendon McCartney believes Ryan Griffen’s 200th appearance will provide extra motivation for his players going into Sunday’s clash with North.

Despite sitting in 14th position on the AFL table with just seven wins, the Bulldogs have produced some strong performances in the second half of the year. The captain’s milestone will only fire them up further.

“The players will draw on it. They have a lot of respect for this man (Griffen), but once the game starts, you’ve got a job to do and you sort of forget about it then,” McCartney said on Thursday.

The Bulldogs will be looking to finish the season on a high, but McCartney is wary of what the Kangaroos can bring to Etihad Stadium. When the teams last met, North ran away with the game after the main break.

“They’re a good club, they’re well entrenched in the top eight and we’re outside,” he added.

“They play really well in certain areas of the game. They’re a bit of a contrast to us and the challenge will be to deal with what they do well and still bring the best elements of our game.”

After their key forwards fired in tandem during the second half against the GWS Giants, the trio of Drew Petrie, Ben Brown and Aaron Black will be key for the Kangaroos.

However McCartney has his focus more on the battle in the middle of the ground.

“All forwards rely on good supply. If we leave the midfield open and they’re able to kick the ball well, they’ll mark it.”

Running defender Jason Johannisen could return for the Bulldogs, while Easton Wood has been ruled out with a broken hand.