FOR the first time in five weeks, the Brisbane Lions will enter Saturday night’s match against North Melbourne with some confidence after their win over Collingwood.

The Lions were on a five-game losing streak, but a trademark last-quarter burst against the Magpies got their season back on track.

Luke Power celebrated his 250th in style, Brendan Fevola turned on some second-half magic, Jonathan Brown showed glimpses of his best, and youngsters Daniel Rich and Tom Rockliff gave plenty of run and grunt.

The Lions will need more of the same this week against the Kangaroos.

With former premiership team-mates Michael Voss and Brad Scott going head-to-head in the coaching box for the first time, expect both teams to be primed. Neither will want to lose to his mate.

North suffered a big loss to Fremantle on Sunday and has lost vice-captain Drew Petrie with a broken foot.

It is also the first of two successive games for the Lions at Etihad Stadium, as they take on the Western Bulldogs at the same venue the following Saturday night.

Forward scout: North Melbourne

2010 to date
North's season has been a bit spasmodic to date. They started with three losses in their first four, followed up with three wins in the next four and are coming off losses against the Western Bulldogs and the long trip back from Fremantle to sit with a 4-6 record.

While they have toiled away under new coach Scott, the facts are they have struggled against quality opposition. St Kilda, Sydney, Collingwood, the Bulldogs and Freo have beaten the Kangaroos by an average margin of 68 points.

The coach
After a season that saw long-term coach Dean Laidley quit and interim mentor Darren Crocker not retained in the top job, the man that filled the Kangaroos position was always going to face a difficult assignment. But just as he did when he played for the Lions in their premiership years, Brad Scott has taken the tough challenge head-on.

His career is mirrored by his coaching persona - forthright, aggressive and combative. Any new coach needs time to settle but Scott’s demand for a team that is hard at the ball is now showing signs of developing.

The gun
Brent Harvey is the oldest player on the list, but there’s no doubt he’s still the best. The 32-year-old has already had a remarkable career that’s included a premiership, All-Australian selection and multiple club best and fairests. The diminutive midfielder is a barometer for the Kangaroos and is just as effective sniffing goals in the forward 50m as he is winning possession in the middle. If his influence is minimised, the Lions will take a big step towards winning.

The sleeper
David Hale has struggled for consistency for large parts of his 126-game career, but when on song, he is a very hard man to contain. At 201cm he has found a home in forward line and with the Lions still waiting for Dan Merrett to return from injury, Matt Maguire or Joel Patfull will have to play above their height again to take on the Broadbeach product. 

He has been hampered by a back complaint of late, but Hale has kicked multiple goals in six matches this season and will be a tough assignment.

The bolter
After his first year was interrupted with a broken leg, Jack Ziebell has continued to show plenty of promise in 2010. He played 10 games before the horrific injury curtailed his debut season, and has played all 10 so far this year. Ziebell is hard at it and can win the contested ball.

Much like Daniel Rich, he doesn’t always dominate the stats sheet, but when he gets it, he makes it count with quality ball use.

Strengths
The Kangaroos have always been known as an aggressive, uncompromising club - traits that sit nicely with new coach Scott. After suffering a round two disaster against St Kilda, the Roos have showed they will contest and contest strongly. You need to be prepared to win the contested ball to get over their midfield that is led by ruckman Hamish McIntosh.

Weaknesses
It’s a problem that has haunted the Kangaroos since the days of Wayne Carey and Corey McKernan - scoring. With Petrie now out injured, Hale is the best marking target up front. They have a number of handy small forwards and goal-kicking midfielders, but the Kangaroos simply struggle to find a consistent avenue to the scoreboard.

In their six losses, they average just 68 points, but a far more respectable 96 when they get over the line. Keep their forwards quiet and generally you don’t need to kick a big score to win.

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