Another week, another frantic finish for Alastair Clarkson and his gutsy side.

North Melbourne held off a late Fremantle surge to win out west by a solitary point last Saturday night, and will look to make it three wins on the trot when it heads to Launceston to challenge the winless Hawks.

Make sure you're prepared for when Clarkson faces his former club with this week's gameday guide.

Set your matchday reminders

Saturday, April 1
Hawthorn v North Melbourne at UTAS Stadium, 1.45pm AEDT

With an opportunity to retain its position in the top eight, the Kangaroos will be out to inflict more pain on a Hawthorn outfit searching for its first win.

So you don't miss the game, or any others this season, make sure to sync the fixture to you calendar.

Get your Round 3 ticket

We're back on the road again and we want as many Kangas fans as possible in the UTAS Stadium seats!

If you're a Launceston-based North Melbourne fan or you're thinking about heading south for the Saturday afternoon match, make sure you grab a ticket here.

Captains' Run

We will be having an open training session at UTAS Stadium on Friday, March 31 from 3pm AEDT.

Fans will be able to enter from Gate 4.

Supporters must stay behind the fence during training, with signatures/photos available following the session. 

Be a part of history as we target beyond 50k members in 2023

The Kangaroos' journey continues in 2023, and we're looking to surpass last year's club record 50,000 members as Alastair Clarkson's team continues its path towards silverware.

Joining up as a member is a great way to support not only the AFL team, but the entire football club.

>> Find the membership package that suits you here.

Watch on TV or stream on your phone

Saturday's game will be broadcast live for Foxtel and Kayo Sports subscribers.

Stay connected on social media

For behind-the-scenes access and all the best highlights, photos, stats and stories, we’ve got you covered.
 
Follow the @NMFCOfficial accounts on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date with everything happening at the match and don't forget to use #Kangas.
 
Bring on Round 3! 

It's been scrappy, but the Kangaroos head into Round 3 with two wins and zero losses.

Alastair Clarkson's side somehow managed to repel a final Fremantle attacking wave last Saturday night, to come away with another hard-earned four points.

A trip to Launceston awaits this weekend, with a 3-0 start beckoning.

Clarko's return

"If anything, Saturday for me is a little bit of a celebration," North Melbourne senior coach Alastair Clarkson told reporters on Thursday morning.

In a greatly anticipated clash, this weekend will see the mastermind face off with the club he brought a wealth of success to over a captivating 17-year period.

He'll be opposing Hawks coach Sam Mitchell, who spent the bulk of his playing career working under the tutelage of Clarkson.

Liam Shiels and Daniel Howe could also battle some of their former teammates for the first time after making their ways to Arden Street in the off-season. 

Shiels played 14 seasons in the brown and gold and was a crucial part of Hawthorn's three flags in the mid-2010s, while Howe spent eight seasons at Waverley where he became a hard-working, versatile midfielder.

A day without Jy

With co-captain Jy Simpkin set for a week on the sidelines, the Roos will need the members of their midfield to become extra productive.

The two-time Syd Barker medallist has collected 25 disposals on both occasions this season, and will undoubtedly be a difficult presence to replace.

However, led by Luke Davies-Uniacke, the midfield contingent has proven dominant at centre bounces and at stoppages around the ground, winning the count by 15 against both West Coast and Fremantle despite falling behind in hitouts.

Although Simpkin has been a key contributor to the side's strength at the coalface, the likes of Cam Zurhaar and Tom Powell have been able to produce important midfield stints over the first two weeks and may have a larger load this Saturday in order to cover for the star No.12.

Will Larkey continue to lead down forward?

A bag of six goals against the Eagles and a haul of four against the Dockers has seen North Melbourne spearhead Nick Larkey climb to the top of the Coleman Medal leaderboard.

But perhaps what's more impressive, is his deadly set-shot accuracy. 

Larkey, who is yet to kick a behind this season, is the only player in the competition with five goals or more to be going at 100 per cent goal accuracy.

This week, against a Hawthorn outfit that has leaked scores of 124 and 118 so far this season, Larkey has the opportunity to not only hit the scoreboard, but to extend his lead in the goalkicking race.

Last time we met

It was a rough start for North Melbourne last time it met Hawthorn.

The Roos conceded the first nine goals of the clash which quickly dashed any hopes of back-to-back wins after a triumphant victory over Richmond a week before.

Aaron Hall shone for the Roos in Launceston with 30 disposals and 745 metres gained, while Davies-Uniacke and Bailey Scott gathered 30 and 26 touches respectively.

North Melbourne has fallen short in a close finish against Hawthorn, losing by 19 points at University of Tasmania Stadium on Saturday.

The Roos came hard late with five unanswered goals from the midway point of the third term, but Tyler Brockman's third goal took the sting out of the comeback to give the Hawks an 11-point lead with just over six minutes remaining.

Hawthorn led at every change to claim its first win of the season, 11.14 (80) to 9.7 (61).

Sam Mitchell's side deployed an uncontested style (423-342 disposals, 288-208 uncontested possessions and 140-89 marks) where they dominated possession in the first half, opening up a 32-point lead before North rallied to get within a kick in the last, before Brockman's crucial intervention.

North had won its opening two games over West Coast and Fremantle but was brought back to earth, not helped by the late withdrawal of in-form midfielder Luke Davies-Uniacke due to calf tightness.

Will Day was cool under pressure with 28 disposals and four tackles, while James Sicily was Hawthorn's general in defence with 28 touches and a game-high 18 marks. Moore, who kicked the sealer, had 25 touches, seven inside 50s, two goals and two goal assists.

North started well with Paul Curtis kicking the opening goal inside the first two minutes, but Hawthorn soon took control, particularly off half-back, kicking the next three goals to lead by 13 points at the first change.

The Kangaroos got the jump again early in the second but Hawthorn responded with the next five goals, including two from the lively Brockman. The Hawks led disposals 172-115 at half-time, with defenders Changkuoth Jiath, Blake Hardwick, Jack Scrimshaw and Sicily having plenty of ball.

James Worpel's goal straight after half-time opened up a 32-point lead but North responded with more territory, while third-gamer Harry Sheezel drove them on with 10 touches for the quarter.

North booted the next three goals, including Kayne Turner's major after Ben Cunnington's shrug along with a 50m shot from the accurate Nick Larkey to close within 12 points at the last change.

HAWKS v KANGAROOS Full match coverage and stats

The Kangaroos stretched that run to five consecutive goals when Cam Zurhaar produced a classy finish off one step to narrow the gap to three points with less than 12 minutes to play after Hawthorn fluffed a series of chances including an uncharacteristic Luke Breust set-shot miss.

Hawthorn's uncontested mark game dried up while it continued to spurn opportunities, with Cam Mackenzie's effort touched and Lloyd Meek opting to let Conor Nash's snap bounce through, only to hit the post, before Brockman nailed the steadying goal.

Moore's snap settled the points for the Hawks, securing their first win since Round 21 last year.

Sheezel's 30-disposal run comes to an end

Third-gamer Sheezel was looking to become the first player in AFL history to start their career with three straight 30-disposal games, having had 34 and 30 touches against West Coast and Fremantle respectively. Fremantle mature-ager Michael Barlow was the only player previously to do that, before having 17 in his third game. But smooth-moving 18-year-old Sheezel's run came to an end, finishing with 25 disposals, albeit after an excellent second half when he had 16 touches. Sheezel did miss a last-quarter set shot but still had four inside 50s, five score involvements and eight intercept possessions to remain the early clubhouse leader in the AFL Rising Star.

North misses key midfield pair

The Kangaroos will be lamenting co-captain Jy Simpkin's needless one-game ban for striking Fremantle's Caleb Serong in an off-the-ball incident last week, particularly when in-form midfield bull Davies-Uniacke was forced to withdraw at the last minute having experienced calf tightness in the warm-up. The absence of North's chief ball-winners was apparent, although Cunnington tried to pick up the slack with game-highs in contested possessions (13) and clearances (seven) among his 21 touches.

HAWTHORN                        3.4      8.4      9.5      11.14 (80)
NORTH MELBOURNE          1.3      4.3      7.5         9.7 (61)

GOALS 
Hawthorn: Brockman 3, Moore 2, Greene 2, Worpel, Scrimshaw, Newcombe, Macdonald
North Melbourne: Zurhaar 2, Larkey 2, Turner, Tucker, Taylor, Curtis, Comben

BEST 
Hawthorn: Day, Moore, Sicily, Newcombe, Brockman, Ward
North Melbourne: Cunnington, Sheezel, Zurhaar, Scott, Logue, Comben 

INJURIES 
Hawthorn: Nil
North Melbourne: Nil

LATE CHANGES
Hawthorn: Nil
North Melbourne: Luke Davies-Uniacke (calf tightness) replaced in selected side by Daniel Howe 

SUBSTITUTES 
Hawthorn: Lachlan Bramble (replaced Finn Maginness in third quarter)
North Melbourne: Darcy Tucker (replaced Hugh Greenwood in third quarter)

Crowd: TBC at UTAS Stadium