SUMMARY
Life does not get any easier for North Melbourne after the bye as it travels west to face the in-form Dockers, who are on a seven-match unbeaten streak - the second longest stretch without a loss in club history. North has lost four matches by under a kick so far this season including going down after the siren to West Coast at Patersons Stadium in round eight. It will be interesting to see how the Kangaroos' sixth ranked offence fares against the No.1-ranked defence of Fremantle. Collingwood and Essendon - both statistically better attacks than North Melbourne this season - managed just 73 and 72 points respectively against the Dockers at Patersons Stadium this year, although Essendon did leave with a victory. The Dockers are the epitome of a champion team as opposed to a team of champions at present - they have no player ranked in the top 70 of the Official AFL Player Ratings. North Melbourne has six players ranked in the top 70.  

WHERE AND WHEN: Patersons Stadium, Sunday June 23, 1.10pm


LAST FIVE TIMES
R22, 2012: Fremantle 20.12 (132) d North Melbourne 12.7 (79) at Etihad Stadium
R22, 2011: North Melbourne 21.17 (143) d Fremantle 6.9 (45) at Etihad Stadium
R4, 2011: Fremantle 18.19 (127) d North Melbourne 14.14 (98) at Patersons Stadium
R19, 2010: North Melbourne 19.9 (123) d Fremantle 10.9 (69) at Etihad Stadium
R10, 2010: Fremantle 21.13 (139) d North Melbourne 11.12 (78) at Patersons Stadium


THE SIX POINTS
1. Since 2007, both teams have four wins each and neither team has won consecutive clashes since 2004-05.

2. This will be the 23rd meeting and North Melbourne holds the advantage winning 14 games to eight.

3. At Patersons Stadium, the sides have met 10 times for five wins each, but Fremantle has won the past three.

4. Fremantle’s defence remains the best in the competition in 2013 conceding only 70 points per game, while North Melbourne is ranked ninth in the AFL, conceding 93 per game.

5. North Melbourne is the sixth best attack in the competition averaging 104 points per game. Fremantle is 13th averaging only 90.

6. North's Scott Thompson is the fourth best defender on the Official AFL Player Ratings, and is ranked 43rd overall. Fremantle, with the best team defence in the AFL, does not have a defender in the top 100 ranked players. Michael Johnson is the highest ranked Fremantle defender at 106.