The JLT Community Series is the perfect time for clubs to test their pre-season projects against genuine opposition.

For North Melbourne, spots in the best 22 are in high demand, so players will be hoping to show the selectors that they’re worthy of a Round 1 berth.

Here are a few interesting storylines to keep an eye on this Saturday afternoon.

Backs in the mix

The talk in recent weeks has been regarding how North Melbourne will cover the suspension of Scott Thompson, the injury to Sam Durdin and potential absence of Robbie Tarrant who is in a race against time to be fit for Round 1.

With depleted key defensive stocks, Ben McKay will be required to stand tall in defence, meaning the Roos will need to experiment with some new look structures.

One of the options the coaching staff could have is to swing versatile youngster Nick Larkey down back.

Standing at 198 centimetres, the 20-year-old could prove to be a solid counter for a key forward, and with his experience as a goalkicker, may have the nous to quash an attacking play.

If they elect to have a smaller defender play tall, Jamie Macmillan may be in the mix.

Despite the North veteran being 188 centimetres, Macmillan is solidly built, weighing-in at 89 kilograms and has had experience playing against some of the games bigger forwards.

With Scott Thompson excluded from the squad, the North backs will get a feel for what Round 1 may throw at them, especially against a forward-line which is structured similarly to what they’ll be confronted with on March 24.

The St Kilda forward-line will be made up of three talls, Josh Bruce (197cm), Paddy McCartin (194cm) and Tim Membrey (188cm) which will be somewhat similar to Fremantle’s, which is likely to consist of Rory Lobb (207cm), Matthew Taberner (199cm) and Jesse Hogan (195cm).

The midfielders will also have the chance to test their defensive side, with pressure set to be put on them to minimise St Kilda’s forward 50 entries.

Filling Waite’s shoes

When Jarrad Waite was missing from North’s side between Round 10 and Round 20 last season, the weekly question was ‘how do the Roos fill the void left by the veteran?’.

Following his retirement, the question has arisen once again, with multiple options at the coaches’ disposal.

Larkey seems the logical inclusion after being forced to bide his time in the VFL.

In 2018, he experienced an impressive season for North’s inaugural VFL side, claiming the ‘Frosty’ Miller Medal for the league’s leading goalkicker.

The 20-year-old has played just the two AFL games, back in 2017, but has impressed this pre-season and is making a real case for a Round 1 berth.

However, in the wake of Jack Ziebell’s successful move forward in 2018, could a similar switch be in store for a veteran midfielder?

Ben Cunnington and Shaun Higgins may spend more time inside the forward 50, and allow Mason Wood to play as the second big forward alongside Ben Brown.

Similar to the backline, fans should expect to see numerous combinations throughout the afternoon as the coaches experiment to see which is the most effective structure.

Tapping in

With the new ruck rules in place for season 2019, the question of whether two rucks can once again play in the same side is being asked.

In recent years we’ve seen the majority of sides opt for just the one specialist ruck, but with the new changes and the fact that West Coast won last year’s premiership with two ruckmen, could the dual ruck attack be back?

Tom Campbell arrived at Arden Street as a rookie in December, as support for veteran Todd Goldstein following the departure of Braydon Preuss.

In the series of match simulations and practice matches, Campbell has used his powerful frame to impact aerial contests and be a prominent feature around the ground.

The athleticism and skill of Todd Goldstein is complimented by the former Bulldog’s brute strength, which could potentially be a handful for opponents.

Both have had uninterrupted pre-seasons and have rarely missing a session, so we can expect to see the two work in tandem this weekend.

If successful, North could join the small group of clubs featuring two specialist rucks in a bid to expose opposition stories.