Both the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos and Brisbane Lions made potent statements at the expense of two expansion clubs last week, but now will face each other in a heavyweight clash.

Coming off a couple of gritty wins against fellow top-eight contenders Geelong and the Western Bulldogs, the Kangaroos flexed their muscles at Punt Road Oval to power past the Swans by 66 points in Round 6.

Up in Moreton Bay, the Lions responded to their shock loss to Richmond with a 44-point win over the Bombers in fluctuating weather conditions.

Despite securing the four points, erratic goalkicking was again one of the key stories to emerge out of Brisbane's performance as it booted 14 behinds from 20 scoring shots.

Whether that form lingers or not will unfold on gameday, but regardless, the Lions remain a tough assignment and one that North will need to be extra prepared for.

Here are three narratives to take note of in the lead-up to Saturday.

Dominant defences

Backline contingents can sometimes be overlooked when comparing two dominant sides, but that won't be happening on this occasion.

The versatility of North's defensive unit is currently one of the main strengths of the group. Erika O'Shea has shone in the opening stages of her AFLW career with her pace and intent and unsung hero Jasmine Ferguson has been tremendous at consistently blanketing her direct opponents.

Round 6 Team of the Week defender Brooke Brown had her best game for the season using her speed to gather 17 disposals and eight intercepts against Sydney, while Sarah Wright is another member of the group that has been enjoying a productive season so far.

Across six matches, North has conceded just 115 total points while the Lions, led by All-Australian Nat Grider have been equivalently as stingy, conceding 119 points.

Neither side was required to stave off many result-threatening attacks last week, but it's fair to say both backlines will have more on their plates this Saturday.

Which forwards will fire?

Looking at the other end of the field now and which forwards are set to impose themselves on this crucial encounter?

Tahlia Randall not only reined in a massive grab at Punt Road Oval last Sunday, but she slotted three majors and continued to use her physicality to pave ways for her fellow forwards inside 50.

She will clearly be an important figure for North when going forward, as will Vikki Wall and Emma King who have also been able to regularly convert in front of goal this season.

As for the Lions, their tendency to change lanes quickly and effectively when progressing the ball from defence to attack has led to their forwards having plenty of shots on goal each week.

Key forward Jesse Wardlaw kicked two goals against the Bombers to take her season tally to 11, while Greta Bodey, despite finishing with 1.4 last time out, is always a threat around the big sticks.

With Brisbane and North racking up 45 and 41 inside 50s respectively in Round 6, it's likely that chances to impact the scorers won't be as abundant this time around, so it will be important for the Roos to capitalise on any scoring opportunities that unfold.

Time to claim a scalp

There aren't too many clubs in the AFLW that have the upper hand on the royal blue and white when it comes to the win-loss ledger, but Brisbane is one of them.

The Lions have won the only two meetings between the clubs, defeating North by 15 points in 2021 and by 36 points early this year in Season 6.

However, the Kangaroos will have the momentum from winning three games straight behind them, as well as the passionate Arden Street crowd by their side for the first time this season.

It's the perfect time to not only take a step towards evening up the overall head-to-head record, but to knock off a premiership contender too.

The Season 7 AFLW Pride Round will be held in Round 8, but North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos will use their Round 7 home game as an opportunity to celebrate the occasion with the club's community.