North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson is viewing a rare blockbuster Friday night clash against Collingwood as a dress rehearsal for their finals aspirations.
Awarded the prime-time slot at Marvel Stadium for the first time since 2019, the 11th-placed Kangaroos are out to continue their climb up the ladder when they host the ninth-placed Magpies.
North pioneered Friday night football in the late 1980s and 1990s, before being banished to graveyard slots due to nearly a decade of poor results.
Clarkson is urging his players to embrace the opportunity as the club aims to secure their first finals appearance since 2016.
The Kangaroos are on equal 32 points with 10th-placed Carlton but have the inferior percentage, with fellow wildcard team Collingwood on 34 points.
"I'm not sure around motivation or nerves, but I know excitement," Clarkson said.
"From what I could gather from reports this morning, the game's going to be a sellout. I'd imagine there'll be 50,000 plus at Marvel Stadium.
"We haven't had the opportunity to play in those types of games much at all in the last little while. I understand why. We haven't been a great side.
"But what a great opportunity to play against a big club like Collingwood, a big crowd like that.
"If our eventual goal is to compete for silverware, then we've got to get used to playing in high-pressure games like this one."
North Melbourne are out to bounce back after a 21-point loss to Port Adelaide snapped a three-game winning streak.
Clarkson is bracing for a fiery Magpies clash after witnessing last week's spiteful match with Gold Coast.
A total of 24 charges were laid from the match between the Magpies and Suns, with Gold Coast forward Ben Long copping a two-game suspension for a whack to Collingwood defender Brayden Maynard's ribs.
Long's hit floored the Magpies vice-captain just before halftime, sparking a wild melee.
The Suns forward had the ban reduced to one match by the tribunal, while Maynard and Gold Coast's Touk Miller both escaped with $5000 fines for making contact with an umpire as they raced in to be part of the melee.
Collingwood claimed a six-point victory over Gold Coast, extending their winning streak to three games.
"We can't do anything to control them, so we'll let them work out what they're going to do in terms of their approach," Clarkson said of Collingwood.
"We've just got to play tough, hard footy. We know what's coming.
"That's the excitement of the challenge because you also know what's coming in September in big games like this, where there's a big crowd and lots on the line.
"Everyone will rise to the occasion, and we just get a great opportunity to play a finals-type game in July.
"I'd imagine that carrot's there for all our players, but the carrot's there for Collingwood as well."
