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Taking on Geelong at home is one of the toughest challenges in the AFL but winless North Melbourne are keen to embrace it.

North Melbourne coach David Noble says his youthful Kangaroos will embrace the tough AFL challenge of heading down the highway to face Geelong.

The Kangaroos are winless but were spirited against Adelaide before ultimately slipping to a 41-point loss last week.

Despite an up-and-down start to the year, Geelong will be heavy favourites at GMHBA Stadium on Sunday - but Noble said his team would learn from the experience.

"Every week's a challenge for us at the moment," Noble said.

"We look forward to driving down the highway and taking on a grand finalist from last year - it's great for our young group to have those experiences."

"If we can capture some of that form that we had again last week and sustain it for longer periods, - then that's obviously what we'd like to see.

"... They're a renowned top-level performer, regular finalist. That's who we need to pitch ourselves against to see where we're legitimately at."

Geelong won't risk Jeremy Cameron (hamstring) but Patrick Dangerfield and Gary Rohan will return from suspension while Brandan Parfitt (hip) has also been selected after he was a late withdrawal against Melbourne.

The Cats also named highly-rated young tall Sam De Koning - the No.19 pick in the 2019 draft - to make his AFL debut.

The Cats lost tagger/defender Mark O'Connor to injury while Jordan Clark, Zach Guthrie, Quinton Narkle and last week's unused medical substitute Max Holmes were all dropped.

The Kangaroos have been ravaged by injury with reigning best and fairest Luke McDonald (pectoral surgery) and young guns Luke Davies-Uniacke (corked calf) and Cameron Zurhaar (concussion) joining the likes of Robbie Tarrant, Jared Polec, Jed Anderson and Aidan Corr on the sidelines.

The Kangaroos named former Magpie Atu Bosenavulagi for his first game since he joined in last year's trade period.

Josh Walker returns after missing the Adelaide loss with hamstring tightness, while round four medical substitute Lachie Young was also added to North's 22.

North Melbourne received a boost earlier in the week when Ben Cunnington successfully appealed a one-match suspension for rough conduct at the AFL tribunal.