WHERE AND WHEN: Etihad Stadium, Friday July 13, 7.50pm
LAST TIME: Carlton 11.14 (80) d North Melbourne 9.8 (62), round 19, 2011 at Etihad Stadium

North and Carlton are part of a five-team race for eighth spot, so the stakes will be particularly high this Friday night. Along with St Kilda, Richmond and Fremantle, the Blues (ninth) and Roos (11th) are locked on seven wins, with Carlton holding a slight percentage advantage (108.7 to 104.8). The teams have split their past four contests, with the last three particularly hard-fought. Both teams have had flat patches this season but enter this clash in good form. It promises to be another cracker.

THE FOUR POINTS

NORTH MELBOURNE

1. This is the first of three crucial games North faces over the coming rounds against teams it's currently battling for eight spot. After the Blues, the Roos play Richmond (10th) in round 17 and Fremantle (12th) in round 22. North's record in these games is likely to shape its finals chances.

2. Scott Thompson's return from back soreness will give the North defence vital flexibility against the Blues. Although North could send any of Scott McMahon, Shaun Atley and Michael Firrito to mind Carlton goalsneaks Eddie Betts and Jeff Garlett, Thompson has a good record on Betts. But at 193cm he could also play on Blues ruckman Matthew Kreuzer when he rests up forward.

3. Who will North play on Blues skipper Chris Judd? Judd returned to form against Collingwood last Friday night and the Roos will put considerable planning into curbing his influence. Liam Anthony could be given first crack at the big job after keeping Judd quiet during a NAB Cup Challenge game earlier this year. However, North star Daniel Wells suggested on Tuesday a total team effort would be required to stop Judd.

4. North's three-pronged forward line of Drew Petrie, Robbie Tarrant and Lachlan Hansen could stretch the Blues' backline.. The North trio have combined for 20 goals since Scott brought them together three rounds ago, so Carlton key defenders Michael Jamison and Matthew Watson face a tough night.

CARLTON

1. The Blues' season is still balanced on a knife's edge despite last week's upset win against Collingwood. The 23-point victory relieved a lot of the intense pressure that had built up on the club as its season went from bad to worse. The Blues must back it up with a win against the Roos to consolidate that confidence boost and launch an assault on September.

2. Carlton's task this week was made more difficult by the injury toll it suffered against the Pies. Kade Simpson will miss at least a month with a broken jaw and Shaun Hampson is done for the season with a knee injury. Marc Murphy is a chance to resume after an extended break with a fractured shoulder.

3. Brett Ratten has gone from experimenting with three rucks to relying solely on Matthew Kreuzer to carry the burden. Hampson's loss was compounded by Robert Warnock's report in the VFL at the weekend. A lot will fall on the shoulders of Kreuzer, who at least appears to be rediscovering some form. His battle against Todd Goldstein could be critical.

4. Will Ratten start regular defender Nick Duigan up forward again this week? Duigan's competitive nature really added something to the Blues' forward mix against the Pies. His main task was to make Nick Maxwell accountable, but he kicked three goals as well to make Ratten's move a masterstroke. Ratten may choose to chance his arm up with Duigan up forward again.

AFL.com.au prediction: North Melbourne by five points

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs