AFETR a taxing 15-point win over Fremantle, the Lions are again on the cusp of the top four ahead of Saturday night’s clash with North Melbourne.

Daniel Bradshaw will miss the match with a hamstring injury while Jared Brennan is no certainty after hurting his ankle.

However their opponents are not without a few dramas after coming off a draw against Richmond on Sunday. It broke a six match losing streak but came at a cost with some injury concerns.

Michael Firrito and Andrew Swallow sustained corkies while towering forward David Hale is racing the clock to overcome a leg injury.

This match will pit the Power brothers against one another, with Luke having a fine season for the Lions and younger brother Sam fresh from a season-high 30 disposals against the Tigers.

Forward Scout:
The club: North Melbourne

2009 to date: It’s been a difficult season for the Kangaroos. What started as a bit of a struggle with a 4-5 record only got worse. A round-10 loss to the Lions started a six-game skid that was only broken by Sunday’s dramatic draw. In the midst of the slump, seven-year coach Dean Laidley resigned and was replaced by caretaker Darren Crocker. Nothing has been easy since his introduction despite some competitive displays.  The loss of young gun Jack Ziebell with a broken leg typified their struggles.

The coach: Any time a coach comes in midway through a season it’s a difficult assignment. Crocker came in after the round 12 loss to Adelaide and has not sung the team song since. Crocker is keen to give his young guys a go and they have knocked on the door of success without kicking it down yet. The dreaded `honourable loss’ tag has followed them the past month, getting within four goals of the Western Bulldogs, the Swans and Hawthorn before Sunday’s draw.

The gun: He is the Kangaroos’ second oldest player, but Brent Harvey is clearly their best. After seven weeks on the sidelines with an elbow injury, Boomer has four matches under his belt on return and is back to his best. His 31-disposal, two-goal performance against Richmond was all class, almost dragging his team to victory.

The sleeper:  Gold Coast product David Hale has had a chequered season but is usually a barometer for the Roos. He is struggling with a leg injury coming out of the Richmond match, but if fit is a headache to match up on because of his height and overhead marking ability. While he is also useful in the ruck, Hale does his best work up forward and bags of four against Essendon in round four, and five against Fremantle in round nine, have guided North Melbourne to two of their four wins this year.

The bolter: While young guns Jack Ziebell and Ben Warren have gone down with serious injuries during the season, the Kangaroos have still unearthed some talent, including 20-year-old Lachlan Hansen. The key position player has been in the system for three seasons and has shown good progress. He can play down back but has also gone forward and kicked a few goals this season.

Strengths: One thing the Kangaroos have always had, and always will have, is fighting spirit. They trailed the Tigers by 44 points on Sunday, yet clawed back and got a draw. It’s an attitude that rarely has them out of any contest. Other than Harvey they lack superstars but will work for each other, are hard at the contest, and play four quarters. Guys like Adam Simpson and Brady Rawlings hate losing and it rubs off on everyone around them.

Weaknesses: The Kangaroos have a few deficiencies, but primarily they have troubles scoring. They sit 12th on the AFL ladder, but are 16th in points for and are averaging just 12 goals a game. North Melbourne bases its game around a good work ethic but lacks zip meaning genuine speed around the contest can often catch them on the hop.

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