THE RECEPTION from the Carrara crowd on Saturday night – whatever it may be – will not affect North Melbourne's efforts against the West Coast Eagles, says captain Adam Simpson.

Speculation the Kangaroos could face a hostile reception is just that, even though patrons may have reason to voice their disappointment after the club committed to its existing base in November and avoided a re-location to the Gold Coast.

However, Simpson is hopeful that the Kangaroos' bond with the area has not been lost completely.

"They might be [hostile], which we'll have to cop," he said on Tuesday. "If they boo us, they boo us. If they don't, they don't. We're not too worried about it.

"We still think it's a pretty good advantage for us to play up there. West Coast haven't played there. We know the ground, we know the hotel, the facilities – a bit like the Canberra atmosphere as well. It's our home ground up there I suppose.

"We took on a contract and we're seeing it through. I don't think we ever took on that contract with the assumption we were going to move up there. We definitely put a bit of work into it."

Regardless of the type of reception his team will receive, Simpson said it was in the best interests of all footy fans on the Gold Coast to get along to the game.

"We've played in front of some small crowds," he noted. "You're used to the atmosphere being a bit lower. That's a small advantage but once the game starts, you're really oblivious to what the crowd's like anyway.

"We've had a few games like that before and it's not too bad. Sometimes I suppose, if you're a young fella, you might look around and think, 'Where is everyone?' but I don't really think it makes any difference when you're playing.

"I just hope that people who follow footy and Aussie Rules and want a new team up there – obviously it's a game of footy – get up and enjoy the spectacle," he added.

"If they want to put a team up there, you assume that they like AFL regardless of who's playing. I'm sure they're going to get more supporters if their own team are playing up there but they don't get too many games at Carrara."

Simpson said West Coast couldn't be discounted, despite the loss of Brownlow Medallists Chris Judd and Ben Cousins between seasons and the absence through suspension of Daniel Kerr.

Hit by injuries in 2008, the Eagles will be eager to resurrect their season after one win from the opening seven rounds.

"It's different for them ... it's good for us," he said. "At the same time, their core midfield group aren't too bad. On their day they can really perform. They've won the last [five] games against us, so they'll be going out there pretty confident.

"If (Matt) Priddis comes back, he's had 40 touches on us before, (Tyson) Stenglein, (Chad) Fletcher ... they're All-Australians who have performed consistently for years, a long period of time. [And there's Michael] Braun as well and (Dean) Cox, who's the best ruckman in the league.

"They're capable – we're not going to take it lightly at all."