McDermott, who will lead Hobart while Matthew Wade is on Test duty in the early part of the tournament, said last year's semi-final failure at the hands of the Melbourne Stars (after dominating the home and away season) and the previous summer's loss to the Adelaide Strikers in the season decider was a major motivating factor ahead of Friday's season opener against Sydney Sixers in Alice Springs.

"It definitely drives us,'' he said.

"We realised we have had a struggle to win those key moments in those big games, and we saw the year before we lost the final, and it hurts.

"So it does drive us and we just want to keep playing the way we have been playing and win those key moments (and) it is driving our group forward to win those finals games."

McDermott, along with Wade and dynamic opener D'Arcy Short, missed out on selection on Tuesday for Australia's ODI tour to India during the BBL.

"I felt like I had a reasonably good (domestic) one-day tournament here in Australia, but obviously it was not meant to be,'' McDermott said.

"It is disappointing, but obviously that means I have a full season with the Hurricanes and can hopefully lock down that middle order role for us and the next level (T20I) as well.

"I just want to keep playing the way that I play and not hold any grudges (and) I will just go out and play the way I normally play."

He will also have the wicketkeeping duties in Wade's absence in what will be his first time captaining a T20 side, a challenge he said he was looking forward to.

Coach Adam Griffith said a final decision on who would join Short at the top of the order had yet to be made, with a "gut feel" to play a key role in deciding whether it is Caleb Jewell or Mac Wright.

The match at Traeger Park will start at 2.45pm.