THE BRISBANE Lions will face North Melbourne for the second time this season after a topsy-turvy week at the club.

After a loss to Geelong on Sunday, and news captain Jonathan Brown would miss the rest of the season with facial fractures, the Lions received a boost with the re-signing of five young players including Matthew Leuenberger and Daniel Rich.

But the reality is they are sitting 15th and facing a team still very much in contention for the top eight.

When the teams first met in round nine, the Lions were welcoming Brown back from his first serious injury this season and the captain kicked four goals and inspired their first win.

The Kangaroos are fresh from a rousing 31-point win over the in-form Western Bulldogs, where all their big names got among the best players.

It will be the second week in succession Michael Voss has faced a former teammate in the coaching box, with Brad Scott following on from his twin brother, Chris, last week.

Forward Scout
The Club: North Melbourne Kangaroos

2011 so far: The Kangaroos have been up and down like a yo-yo this season but find themselves in 11th position with a 7-9 record and still with a big chance of making the finals. They started with four straight losses, but with four successive wins from round 11-14, got themselves back in the hunt. The blight on their season is their performances against the heavyweight teams. They were trounced by Geelong (66 points) and Collingwood (87 and 117 points) in their big tests.

The Coach: Now in his second season at Arden St, Brad Scott has again got his team playing competitive footy. They missed the finals last season on percentage and are lingering mid-table again. Just as in his playing days, Scott is an uncompromising coach, but also an astute thinker of the game, as seen in his media role.

The Star: For many years Drew Petrie has flirted with being a genuine star of the competition, and this year he's delivering. At 197cm and 102kg, he is an imposing forward who can take over a match. He is third behind Travis Cloke and James Podsiadly for contested marks in the League and looms as a massive danger for the Lions. Brent Staker (196cm, 96kg), Matt Maguire (192cm, 100kg), Joel Patfull (190cm, 88kg) and Niall McKeever (196cm, 95kg) are all shorter and lighter. Maguire deserves first crack to atone for last week's nightmare against Podsiadly.

The Sleeper: Andrew Swallow's name has been thrown up as a potential All Australian this season and it's little wonder. He is fifth in the comp in contested possessions (ahead of the likes of Marc Murphy, Simon Black and Gary Ablett) and 11th in overall disposals. His 39-touch game against Adelaide in round 11 was remarkable. Loves the inside game.

The Young Gun: After overcoming two broken legs in the previous two seasons, Jack Ziebell is beginning to realise the potential that saw North Melbourne select him at No. 9 in the 2008 National Draft (two places behind Daniel Rich). He started the season terribly slowly but has gathered momentum and had a career-high 41 disposals against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday.

Strengths: North Melbourne loves the ball in the clinches. They have great ball winners in Swallow, Ziebell, Daniel Wells and Levi Greenwood and will crash in all day long. The Lions must follow the example of Simon Black and win their fair share of contested footy to stop the supply to Petrie and Aaron Edwards.

Weaknesses: Much like the Lions, the Kangaroos are not blessed with exceptional speed. They win the ball well, but don't always spread it that quickly. They also have a workmanlike rather than exceptional defence, although without Jonathan Brown, the Lions don't quite have the same firepower to test that as they might have.

Michael Whiting covers Brisbane Lions news for afl.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @mike_whiting