Tickets for the February 26 NAB Challenge clash went on sale yesterday with Blair believing the black and white faithful could even outnumber brown and gold counterparts at their home away from home.

"I'd be quietly confident of that, yeah," Blair told The Examiner yesterday.

"Hawthorn have a real stronghold down there but I think the Collingwood army is everywhere you go and we'd be confident we could have a fair following come game time.

"You do get surprised at the size of the Collingwood following. It's no secret how big our support is and I think we have something like four or five thousand members in Tasmania.

"Even when we travel to places like Gold Coast to play there is always a lot of support turning out for us."

Kicking off this year's NAB Challenge, the fixture will see Collingwood play its first official AFL match in Tasmania and help start the celebrations of 150 years of Australian football in Tasmania.

Blair, whose 102-game senior career included the 2010 AFL premiership, said many of the Magpies are excited about making their first visit to Tasmania.

"A lot of us boys have never been down there so we're looking forward to it. It's a good opportunity to see another part of Australia.

"I've never been there myself. I know it's nice countryside but that's about it. Hawthorn have had good success down there so it will be good to check it out."

Blair reported a solid and successful pre-season which has left both him and the club with clearly defined goals for 2015.

"I want to be playing senior footy every week, that's my goal. I'm reaching the point of my career where I need to do more for young players at the club, get some good midfield time and hit the scoreboard a little bit more.

"It's all good playing special roles but a small forward is there to kick goals and that's a big aim for me this year, hopefully starting with these NAB Challenge games.

"If you start them well you can carry that confidence into the season and that can only help your football."

The 24-year-old from Wonthaggi in Victoria said the Pies are about to embark on a training camp to another new frontier in New Zealand and admitted the season still feels a long way off.

"Even from when we play Hawthorn it is still five weeks until week one so it's been a long summer but I think the club's handled it really well.

"In the second half of the season last year we really could not get it together but a few adjustments have been made and I think we're tracking really well."