WHERE AND WHEN: Etihad Stadium, Sunday 17 July, 4.40pm
HEAD TO HEAD: North Melbourne 71 wins, Western Bulldogs 74 wins, three draws
LAST TIME: Western Bulldogs 22.11 (143) d North Melbourne 10.12 (72), round 18, 2010 at Etihad Stadium
TV, RADIO AND BETTING: Click here for broadcast guide and odds
A full replay will be available on afl.com.au 12 hours after the completion of the match
FORM: North Melbourne: WWWLL Western Bulldogs: LWWWW

SUMMARY
The Bulldogs and the Kangaroos have both had topsy-turvy seasons so far. Ordinary starts have been followed by mid-season form surges and they both find themselves just on the outside of the top eight.

North Melbourne has dropped its last two games including Saturday's belting by Collingwood. They will definitely improve from that performance, but a full turnaround is unlikely, particularly against the Bulldogs, who suddenly look to be one of the most in-form teams of the AFL.

Ben Hudson's ruck work is on the up, as is his input around the ground while midfielders Ryan Griffen and Adam Cooney are playing at close to their best.

Callan Ward seems unmoved by all the speculation surrounding his future as he goes from strength to strength.
   
North Melbourne's month of wins seems like a distant memory as the form of Brent Harvey and Lindsay Thomas among others starts to come into question.
 
QUESTION MARKS
What to do with Lindsay Thomas? His appalling set shot kicking for goal has gone beyond the yips and become a football storyline of its own. He is dangerous enough as far as getting the ball is concerned, but can't seem to convert when he is given time to think about kicking for goal. He is too talented to be dropped so maybe a bit of a run across half-back could free him up and release him from the shackles of his own self-doubt.

How important has Luke Dahlhaus been to the Bulldogs' form resurgence? Some perspective is needed here. He is a young man finding his way in football and he is far from the only reason the Dogs have improved significantly. But there is no doubt that Dahlhaus' youthful exuberance and energy in the Bulldogs' attacking 50 has injected some fire into a team that didn't look to be enjoying its footy just over a month ago.
 
PREDICTION
Western Bulldogs by 19 points
 
TOYOTA AFL DREAM TEAM WATCH
Adam Cooney is on the up after three solid weeks in which he soared above 100. He dipped under the $300,000 mark several weeks ago but has shot back up to $331,300. He could be one to keep an eye on if teams don't have faith in Gary Ablett's knee.

Drew Petrie's poor score of 24 last week and 51 the week before has seen his price slashed to just $318,600. If you are looking for a ruck/forward option he is a good option.
 
Follow the game live in the AFL Match Centre on afl.com.au and join the conversation on Twitter using #aflnorthdogs
 
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL