When faced with slaying the ''behemoth'' that is Geelong on Sunday at Skilled Stadium, North Melbourne coach Dean Laidley says it is best to not be consumed by the task.
The all-conquering Cats have won 38 of their past 40 games and are considered near certainties to claim back-to-back AFL premierships.
The Kangaroos have emerged as a genuine threat to the Cats' crown after beating fellow premiership challengers Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs as well as winning their past six games.
But there is an aura of invincibility surrounding Geelong.
North captain Adam Simpson recently admitted they were a class above the rest while stopper Brady Rawlings revealed he found watching the Cats at home on the couch a joyous experience.
Coach Dean Laidley knows much of Sunday's clash will be played above the shoulders and said the team would not talk as much as normal about tactics before the game.
''We'll do our opposition meeting this morning and it'll probably be a bit shorter because I think if you go into it too much it can become quite daunting,'' he said.
''So let's concentrate on what we're trying to achieve rather than looking at the, whatever you want to call them, behemoth.
''They're a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful side. It will be a tough ask but we'll go down there and give it our best shot.'' Last time the two sides faced off on Geelong's home turf, in round five last year, North produced a famous 16-point victory.
It stung the Cats into action, beginning the following week with a 157-point thrashing of Richmond.
They have only lost two games since, to Port Adelaide in round 21, 2007 and Collingwood in round nine this year.
North weren't spared in the Cats' record-breaking run, annihilated by 106 points in last year's qualifying final.
But in round 11 this year, the Roos got close to toppling Geelong they lost by 13 points and head into Sunday's encounter playing their best and most disciplined football.
''We're in pretty good form. We have been much more consistent in the back half of the year and we want to keep that going,'' Laidley said.
''But going down to a hostile environment like that, we've had some good wins down there in the last few years but we've come off a couple of hidings [against Geelong] so we need to make sure we're at our best.''
The Roos are currently in fourth place on the ladder but need to win their final two home-and-away games against Geelong and Port Adelaide to be certain of the double chance.
But the potential to again clash with Geelong in a qualifying final, will not persuade North to hold anything back on Sunday.
''I don't think we can afford to keep any of our powder dry. It's a wonderful learning curve, particularly for our younger guys that we go down there, play the way we want to play and do the very best we can,'' he said. AAP