Jarrad Waite's return from a shoulder injury provides North Melbourne's attack with a timely boost ahead of their AFL clash with rampaging Adelaide.
Veteran forward Waite kicked five goals in the final match of the pre-season series, but damaged an AC joint in the season-opener against West Coast and underwent surgery.
"He's had a tough run with injuries at times, but he's super important," Roos assistant coach Josh Drummond told AAP.
"Everyone knows him as a goal kicker and an elite marking player, but he also gives us great pressure.
"The way he harasses the opposition is elite in the competition for a key forward.
"He gives us great balance offensively but his defensive stuff has been really strong ... we're certainly a better team when he's out there."
Waite was included with Ryan Clarke, while veteran duo Andrew Swallow and Lindsay Thomas didn't do enough in the VFL to earn recalls, after they were dropped ahead of round six.
Aaron Mullett (hand) and Jy Simpkin (managed) depart the side that broke through for their first win of the season last week.
Ben Brown booted a career-best six goals in the 13-point win over Gold Coast, but even with Waite's return North won't want to get involved in a shootout with the unbeaten Crows.
Don Pyke's men have averaged 134 points a game to sit top of the AFL ladder - and almost three goals a game more than the next-best side.
"They have strengths all over the ground but they are elite forward of centre," Drummond said.
"They've got a great balance between their key position players, who can mark it and are also good at ground level.
"When it does hit the ground they've got some pretty handy players in Eddie Betts, Charlie Cameron and the like.
"Certainly limiting the amount of supply they get will be crucial, which makes it important that we get on top in the midfield."
The 15th-placed Roos will play their second game of the season at their home-away-from-home at Blundstone Arena in Hobart.
Brad Scott's side been beaten in their past two games at the ground but put together an eight-game winning streak before that.
"We do feel like (Hobart) can be a real strength," Drummond said.
"We do play the ground well generally ... we want to make it a place where teams come and know they're in for a long day."
Adelaide have stuck with the same line-up that thumped Richmond by 76 points at Adelaide Oval last week.
