“Dead serious”: Why Kangaroos fans should be expecting to beat the Bulldogs

Josh Jenkins says North Melbourne supporters should be heading to Marvel Stadium with expectations of beating the Western Bulldogs.

The Roos take on the Doggies in their Round 1 clash on Saturday night and Jenkins believes Alastair Clarkson’s side is in a good position to claim an early win in 2025.

North are the outsiders, but given the personnel issues Luke Beveridge is dealing with, an upset could be on the cards.

“I tell you that, if I’m going to Marvel Stadium as a Kangaroos fan I reckon I’ll be bloody disappointed if we don’t win that game,” Jenkins said on SEN’s The Run Home.

“I’m being dead serious. I don’t care what the markets say, I’m ignoring all that stuff.

“If you have a look around the footy - Tristan Xerri v Tim English, we now give the points to Xerri, we expect Xerri to get after it at ground level.

“But then have a look at what the expected midfields will be. No Bont, no Treloar, Ed Richards will be underdone, so you’ve got Libba and a few kids, you’ve got Bailey Dale who is going to be underdone, no Liam Jones, no Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, no Cody Weightman.

“They are absolutely as thin as it can possibly get, and they’re already a team who we think rely on their superstars.

“I honestly think if I was a North Melbourne fan I’d be going there saying, ‘Disregard what the bookies say, we ought to be winning this game of footy. If we are truly on the right path, if we believe in the guys we’ve brought in, this is the best version of Darling and the best version of Parker when they’re fresh and healthy and able - we should be winning this game’.”

Roos great David King senses a massive opportunity for his old club.

This is the type of game that they should be aiming to win as they enter their third season under Clarkson.

“I think this is a huge week for the Kangaroos,” King said on SEN Breakfast.

“When they take on the Western Bulldogs without a whole host of star-factor players, you very rarely get an opportunity like this, to start the season with a scalp.

“This is a game that they absolutely need to be in for the 120 minutes if they are to lose. But I’m looking at the line-ups and thinking why would you be thinking of losing this sort of game?

“We’ve just witnessed a team of young players (Richmond) can do if they just bring 100 per cent effort and I think the Richmond Football Club are a great example for the young North Melbourne midfield.

“It’s just time, it’s time for the Kangaroos to actually show the rebuild is out of that absolute bottom of the bell curve phase.”

The Roos have lost their last seven to the Dogs by an average margin of 58.2 points, including a 96-point result in Round 23 last year.