Last week’s heart-stopping win over Richmond is now in the books. Football waits for nobody and a clash with Hawthorn in Hobart awaits the North Melbourne Kangaroos in Round 19.

Interim senior coach Leigh Adams may be cautious about changing a winning formula, but a number of strong individual performances in the agonising two-point VFL defeat to the Tigers may muddy the selection waters.

North Media looks at who is in the mix.

True to recent form, the line with the most selection pressure is the defence. The impending return of Aaron Hall from injury creates an even bigger logjam for who gets named in the seniors' backline.

Hall is set to return to his rebounding role in the AFL side after recovering from a quad injury. He's set to make his first senior appearance since being substituted out of the Round 16 clash with Geelong early in the first quarter.

Hawthorn’s penchant for playing a tall forward line could see the Kangaroos elect to bring some size into the defence, with Kallan Dawson, Josh Walker and Matt McGuinness all potential inclusions.

Dawson has continued to thrive after being selected with the second selection in the mid-season draft, with his courage in the contest and ability in the air proving strong assets he could bring into the AFL.

Walker was tough and physical in his first VFL game of the year on the weekend and laid a number of monster tackles. He also finished with 22 disposals in what was a measured and composed performance.

McGuinness has continued in the form he’s shown over the course of the season so far and was calm with the ball in hand while showing intelligence in the defensive side of the game.

First-year players Jackson Archer and Josh Goater continued their development at reserve level with the pair both pushing hard for AFL opportunities.

Archer played his first game since his late omission from the Round 16 AFL side due to a hip injury. His exposure to the highest level saw him head back to the VFL with a mountain of confidence.

The desire he showed to burst forward with the ball and create attacking opportunities was an exciting and welcome addition to his offensive game.

He also kicked his first ever goal in royal blue and white, a classy finish from the right pocket in the third term.

Goater once again excelled in one-on-one contests and, like Archer, looks to be gaining confidence with each passing week. He finished with 19 disposals and four marks.

Atu Bosenavulagi continued his good form at VFL level and was an effective influence in the wide areas of the ground.

Not only was he an exciting attacking outlet running out of defence, but his strength in the contest and ability to impact the play from the air was consistently eye-catching. He finished the game with 17 disposals and three marks.

Jack Mahony and Eddie Ford both showed good signs on what was a difficult day for both team’s forward groups, with high winds heavily impacting the ability to score.

Ford was a consistently dangerous presence in the forward 50 but couldn’t dial in his radar. He finished the game with a frustrating three behinds in what was a few straight kicks from being a stellar display of forward craft.

Mahony utilised his class on the ball to push up to the stoppages in the forward half of the ground, and he also spent some time in the midfield. He was clean in possession and finished with 22 disposals and a goal.

Kayne Turner also played his first game since suffering concussion against Geelong in Round 16 and his versatility could see him included in any line should he be recalled to the seniors.