NORTH Launceston will have former AFL player Chris Tarrant available for his first State League game of the season when they meet Burnie at Aurora Stadium tomorrow night.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Tarrant will be a valuable addition as they unfurl their premiership pennant at their first home game.
The Northern Bombers are preparing to take on the Dockers under new coach Clinton Proctor.
North will be without Allan O'Sign and Will Lockhart but added Lochie Young, Mark Walsh and Jack Hawkins, along with Tarrant.
"Burnie will be a huge challenge with a bit of a different looking list and new coaching panel," coach Zane Littlejohn said.
"We will have to put some time and energy into their top-end players and need our top players and whole 22 playing their roles to be successful."
Burnie included Andrew Lee and Tyrone Morrison but lost Harry and Nick Walters and import Cameron Cloke.
Western Storm will have SANFL recruit Glenn Dawson available for his first game and regains ruckman Cody Thorp, Casey Young and young Mariner Mitch Hodgetts as it prepares to take on Launceston at Aurora Stadium tonight.
Coach Mitch Hills said his side needed to get its attitude and structures right and was looking for improvement across the board and a more competitive edge.
"We can't take any team lightly this year and we have to show respect to our opponent this week who are playing good footy after last week's effort and are out to take a big scalp and we don't want that to be us," Hills said.
Launceston will be without Nathan O'Donoghue and Casey Reissig but coach Scott Stephens said the Blues were keen to match it with one of the top sides in the competition and hopefully get a win.
"I'd like a consistent effort across the four quarters and that will give us an opportunity to win the game if we can perform that way," he said.
Tom Sheppard comes into the side and a under-16 player in Casey Brown is promoted.
"The Storm lost last week so you have two sides looking to bounce back and get their first points for the season," Stephens said.
"They were questioned by their coach so we expect them to come out breathing fire."