THREE months ago, Hawthorn defender Campbell Brown made headlines by calling North Melbourne hard-man Daniel Pratt "extremely soft" and "pathetic". Yesterday, Pratt returned the compliment.

"Campbell said those things and I guess we play similar sort of footy so I don't know if he's reflecting on his game as well," Pratt said.

The coaches may prefer to pretend that it doesn't exist, but it seems that there is a modern-day rivalry between North Melbourne and Hawthorn and it is here to stay.

Being pitted against each other in the Rivalry Round in recent years was a little underwhelming at first for players and fans alike, but a couple of bruising encounters over the past year — including a spiteful semi-final from which three Hawthorn players earned suspensions — has given all concerned something to think about.

Pratt, for one, is happy to acknowledge that there will be a little extra something at stake when these two teams meet at the MCG on Saturday.

"Last time we played them there was spice," he said, referring to the contest in round three when Hawthorn came away with the points after snatching the lead in the last 10 minutes. Pratt was one of the casualties of that clash, with Hawk Jordan Lewis suspended for a game for striking the Roo in the stomach.

But that has not doused Pratt's enthusiasm for the coming contest. "I can't see after what happened last game why it's going to be any different," the Kangaroo defender said, "but it's the safest place in the world, the footy ground, because you can't do anything or else you'll miss weeks."

In the middle of the growing rivalry between the two sides is a single match-up that is emerging as one of the game's more intriguing contests.

Any team that takes on the Hawks must address the daunting question of how best to stop red-hot forward Lance Franklin. While the Roos' form has not exactly been scintillating over the past month, they do boast one of the few defenders who in the past has been able to contain the leading contender for the 2008 Coleman Medal.

When Kangaroos defender Josh Gibson lined up on Franklin in last year's semi-final, "Buddy" was coming off a seven-goal haul against the Crows that had secured his side a berth in the second week of September. Gibson's role in restricting Franklin to three goals that night was instrumental in the 33-point win that sent the Hawks on their end-of-season trip.

In round three this year Franklin evened the score, booting 5.4 in the Hawks' 16-point win.

At one apiece, Gibson is keen to get one up on his superstar opponent. "Hopefully I'll get the challenge again," he said yesterday.

"He definitely got the better of me last time so in this one I'm just going to get back to what I did in that final."

Gibson said while Franklin's running ability was one of the Hawks' key strengths, the 24-year-old was willing to back himself in that department. "He is a wonderful athlete so I've got to try and keep up with him but I'm pretty sure I can try my best," he said.