Arguably coming off their best win of the year after a gallant comeback against West Coast, the Power have quite a few strengths North will have to be wary of.
It starts when Port is in possession. Shunning long balls in favour of retaining possession, Port ranks 17th in the competition for long kicks and first for short kicks. However the Power don't neglect their use by hand. It sits second in the AFL for total handballs per game.
When the two areas are combined, it sees Port sitting equal first in total possessions per game.
Quite simply, the Power have the ball for more time than their opponents.
Port's time in possession is at 44 percent in games this season. It's second in the league and well above the league average of 41.7.
Unsurprisingly, this translates well to the defensive side of the game.
Currently Port has conceded the second-fewest total points per game, at 77.2 through the first five weeks. With a small sample size, it would be easy for the number to be deflated through one excellent performance.
However it works the other way, with Port holding opponents to less than 80 points in four of the five games this season.
As North Melbourne itself knows, a settled defensive unit is usually the key to holding teams to low scores. Port has used just 26 players in five weeks - as a point of comparison St Kilda has used 33, the most in the league.
Down back for Port, it has started with the two key defenders in Jackson Trengove and Alipate Carlisle. But in bad news for the Power, Trengove has been ruled out for this week with a foot injury.
It opens the door for North's three key forwards to stretch the Power backline, and in particular Drew Petrie.
Petrie enjoys playing against the Power with nine goals in his last two games. Despite the number 20 terming his form as 'average at best' during the week, it was in the corresponding game last year where he also snapped out of an early-season form slump.
Given Port has conceded more than half its goals this season from inside 30 metres, contested marking in the 'hot-spot' will be important, something Petrie excels at. He currently sits fourth in the AFL for contested marks this season.
If North can be efficient in possession and limit Port's own time with the ball, it has every chance to inflict the Power's first loss of the season.
