Where and when: Etihad Stadium, Saturday 22 May, 2.10pm
Head to head: North Melbourne 71 wins, Western Bulldogs 72 wins, three draws
Last time: Western Bulldogs 17.6 (108) d North Melbourne 12.14 (86), round 13, 2009, at the MCG

MISSING IN ACTION
North Melbourne
Leigh Adams (hamstring) - 1-2 weeks
Liam Anthony (shoulder) - indefinite
Luke Delaney (broken wrist) - 5 weeks
David Hale (back) - test
Hamish McIntosh (shoulder) - test
Drew Petrie (broken foot) - 1-2 weeks
Ben Ross (groin/hip) - indefinite
Gavin Urquhart (knee) - test

Western Bulldogs
Ayce Cordy (shoulder) - season
Brad Johnson (achilles) - 3 weeks
Lukas Markovic (shoulder) - TBA
Robert Murphy (knee) - 2-3 weeks
Shane Thorne (knee) - 9 weeks
Callan Ward (groin) - 1-2 weeks

FORM
North Melbourne: LWWLW
Western Bulldogs: LWLWW

SUMMARY
The Kangaroos are suddenly a game out of the eight after an impressive month where they won three out of four matches. Victory over Hawthorn in Tasmania kicked off the run before they beat Melbourne at Etihad the following week. A thumping by Collingwood in round seven interrupted celebrations before a gutsy win over Adelaide eventuated last Saturday night.

The Dogs shook off some lethargy against the Sydney Swans on Saturday at Manuka Oval to win by 38 points with Barry Hall booting five. They too have won three from their past four starts with a victory over Adelaide in round five putting them back on track after a loss to the Brisbane Lions. A narrow loss to St Kilda followed before a thrilling win over Melbourne on a soggy Friday night at the MCG.

PLAYER TO WATCH
Brent Harvey has been setting the stands alight with his antics in front of goal in recent times. He doesn't manage many - 10 from eight games this year - but when he does, he tries valiantly to get his actions in the highlights reel. Keep an eye on him when he's within range.

Liam Picken is a chance to come into the side after overcoming an ankle injury. In true form, he managed to recover in three weeks less than was initially diagnosed. He hasn't played since round three, but with an engine to rival Daniel Cross and a tenacity to lock down top midfielders, this is a player the Roos don't want to make the final side.

QUESTION MARKS
The Dogs have won the past two head to heads but haven't beaten the Roos at Etihad since round eight, 2005. Their Docklands record is patchy all up - can they overcome the hard surface and secure a win?

The Roos say Hamish McIntosh and David Hale are in doubt. Is Todd Goldstein up to handling Ben Hudson and Will Minson solo?

WHO WILL WIN AND WHY
The Dogs will welcome back Ryan Griffen, possibly their best tagger in Picken and will benefit from a happy Hall, fresh from his five-goal outing. The Roos could be without their two big men, finished slow last week against Adelaide, and will not be able to withstand the experience of the Dogs' midfield. 

PREDICTION
Western Bulldogs by 33 points

Chat with host Ben Oliver and other fans in the AFL Match Centre on afl.com.au from 2.10pm Saturday or join the conversation on Twitter: #aflkangasdogs

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