AFLW All-Australian Kate McCarthy has warned the competition to "beware the wounded Roo" after North Melbourne was handed its first loss in 1020 days. 

The Roos' record-breaking 32-game winning streak came to an end at the hands of Hawthorn in Cairns on Friday night, after Daniel Webster's side put the pressure on late in the fourth quarter to win 4.8 (32) to 3.7 (25). 

Plenty of fans and media alike had circled the upcoming round seven match against Melbourne as the game likely to snap the streak, but with the Hawks unexpectedly handing it to them a week early, the question is being asked if this a turn of the tide for North's dominance. 

With the Dees currently undefeated in 2026, many still believe they're favourites for this Friday's game, but McCarthy is warning the wider competition to not underestimate the Roos' determination to bounce back after a loss. 

"I don't think you can underestimate what a loss does to a group, and they haven't felt that in 32 games, or longer than that because they had the draw," McCarthy said on AFL.com.au's The Wrap. 

"I think it's a bit of a monkey off the back for North, and they get to focus on week by week, no one's keeping count of how many games they've won and how many in a row they've won. And I think this might be a little bit of a beware the wounded Roo for me." 

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Although a momentous occasion for the competition, McCarthy has erred on the side of caution when it comes to revelling in the Hawks doing the unbelievable, with expectations the Roos will take plenty of lessons from the loss. 

"I think a lot of people in the media and in the competition are poking the bear," McCarthy said. 

"And I'd be careful what happens when you poke the bear because I think they're going to look over this, they're going to consolidate some things that maybe they hadn't drawn attention to in the past couple of weeks and I think they're going to be back with a vengeance.

"I could not be more excited for the clash against Melbourne on Friday night." 

North Melbourne will face Melbourne in the highly anticipated AFL Grand Final eve clash at Ikon park, at 7.15pm on Friday night.