North Melbourne will face its toughest test so far this season when it meets back-to-back reigning premier Brisbane in Gather Round on Saturday afternoon

The 3-1 Roos are high on confidence after their thrilling Good Friday SuperClash win and will be out to claim a massive scalp in the Barossa Valley.

Round 5, North Melbourne v Brisbane
When: Saturday, April 11 at 12.05pm ACST, 12.35pm AEST
Where: Barossa Park, Lyndoch, SA
How to watch: Foxtel, Kayo Sports

The opposition

After picking up two losses from their first three games, the Lions locked in against Collingwood last week, blowing the Pies away at the Gabba by 54 points to even their win-loss ledger.

They haven’t lost to North Melbourne in any of the previous eight clashes, but Chris Fagan’s side found it difficult to break down the Kangaroos last time out, only managing to leave Tasmania with two points following a 71-71 draw last season.

Brisbane could regain co-captain Hugh McCluggage from a calf strain and defender Noah Answerth from concussion. Star back Harris Andrews is also expected to return from his suspension, which would be a boost for a team low on key defensive stocks.

Running hot

In the frantic SuperClash at Marvel Stadium, Caleb Daniel's experience was in full effect.

The half-back was cool and composed against the Blues as he collected a game-high 27 touches, going at 89 per cent efficiency.

Perhaps his most significant effort was his chase-down tackle on Carlton's Jagga Smith, which prevented the visitors from scoring late in the opening term and set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.

What the coach has said

North Melbourne senior coach Alastair Clarkson on Thursday: "We're going to need to be pretty sharp in (defence) against Brisbane on Saturday because they're a high-scoring team. They're really strong from the stoppage and if you give them enough opportunity in their front end they're going to kick over 100 [points].

Last time we met

Despite being at opposite ends of the table, the Roos and Lions couldn't be split in last year's 10.11 (71) to 10.11 (71) Round 9 result at Hobart's Ninja Stadium.

The lead changed hands multiple times in the final 10 minutes. The Kangaroos had the better of the opportunities to steal the win at the death but couldn't land the killer blow.

Luke Davies-Uniacke was a standout for the home side, winning 32 possessions, while Charlie Comben racked up a game-high 12 intercepts.