WE'RE all set for a Friday night blockbuster between the two best sides in the competition in what looms as the game of the season. 

Melbourne is the only undefeated side left in the competition, having put together a flawless six-week stretch under new coach Tom Wilson. 

The Demons have depth on every line and have gelled beautifully, priming themselves for yet another deep finals run. 

Then there's North Melbourne, who up until last week seemed invincible before the Hawks sprung an almighty surprise, ending the Roos' 1020-day winning streak in Cairns.

Can Darren Crocker's side bounce back or were there chinks in the armour that were exposed, highlighting that perhaps they're now vulnerable? 

Either way, you're going to want to be at Ikon Park on Friday night.

Everywhere you look, there'll be stars strutting their stuff. But who wins the game - and therefore asserts themselves as premiership frontrunners - will be decided in the midfield. 

North Melbourne is the two-time reigning champions and Darren Crocker has a luxury of options to roll through the engine room. 

Captain Jasmine Garner is as good as it gets. Her footy CV is second to none, having amassed eight All-Australians, five best and fairests and three AFLPA MVPs and three AFLCA Champion Player of the Year awards. 

And she's showing no signs of slowing down. Garner is currently leading the coaches' votes for 2026 and Champion Data ranks her the third-best player in the competition this season. She's a star and has been remarkably consistent for a long period of time. 

Then there's midfield dynamo Ash Riddell, who finds the footy for fun. Riddell averages 35.5 disposals a game this year, the most across the entire competition. She runs hard all day, is super clean with the footy and one of the competition's most reliable players. 

North Melbourne's third weapon in the engine room is ex-Tiger Eilish Sheerin. Sheerin, who has already won a best on ground medal in a Grand Final, loves the big stage. While Garner and Riddell might do most of the attacking stuff, Sheerin's defensive pressure and tackling (ranked 10th in the competition) is so integral to the balance of the Kangaroos around stoppage.  

Exciting on-baller Mia King has been sidelined for the rest of the season with a serious neck injury, which means former Western Jets midfielder Ruby Tripodi has picked up more of the slack as the fourth option. Talk about a plethora of great players working together.

Then there's the Dees, who are coming for the mantle as the best side in the competition. 

Their highest centre bounce attendance player of the year is Liv Purcell, who hasn't missed a beat since returning from an ACL injury. Purcell is as fierce as they come and is a contested beast, adding another dimension to Wilson's midfield mix this year. 

Tyla Hanks is a long-time contributor for the Dees and an absolute A-grade talent. Similarly to Sheerin, her defensive efforts around the coalface are crucial to the Dees. She has no problem finding the footy herself, but it's her two-way work ethic that helps her to stand out. 

But perhaps Melbourne's biggest weapon is captain Kate Hore. While there are plenty of players who can find the footy at will, Hore's ability to go forward and have an impact makes her an absolute nightmare for opposition coaches. 

She's clean around the contest and great in transition, but her aerial ability and goal nous means often teams don't have a direct matchup for the star Dee. Everything Hore touches turns to gold. Whether it's her work at clearance or her ability to create scores for her side, she's a force to be reckoned with. 

Eliza McNamara has spent some more time inside this year, but she won't feature in the immediate future due to a jaw injury. The other name to keep an eye on in Melbourne's midfield mix is speed demon Shelley Heath-Barker, with her ability to be that connector going inside 50 a real asset for the Dees.

So which group will prevail? Looking at the stats, it's tough to split arguably the two most prolific midfield groups in the competition. 

The Roos rank first for points from turnovers and love to play a territory game, with the ball living inside of their front half for almost 11 minutes more than their opponents. 

On the flip side, Melbourne's the best clearance team in the competition. The Dees rank first for clearances score difference and centre bounce score difference, but they can also hurt opposition sides on turnover, ranked first in the competition for turnover score difference. 

Whatever you're doing this weekend, you're going to want to be at Ikon Park on Friday night. Some of the competition's biggest stars will be going head-to-head in what promises to be one of the games of the season. 

Can Crocker's tried and tested midfield group get the chocolates once again, or is this the changing of the guard, where Wilson's fun and dangerous Dees ascend to the top of the throne?