Tom Bennett only needed one pre-season to get back into TSL shape - the second pre-season block was a bonus.
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One of the stars of Hillwood's breakthrough NTFA flag last season, the 27-year-old returned to UTAS Stadium at the end of last season and brought a bunch of mates with him.
Dan Withers will have his first crack at TSL footy after etching his names on three of the NTFA's most decorated individual trophies, while ex-Bombers Nathan Pearce and Mark Walsh are in search of their first and fourth club premierships respectively.
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"It hasn't been too bad coming back in," Bennett said.
"Probably the intensity of training - it takes a while to warm back up to that, but after a few weeks in you get the blow out in the lungs and you're back running on top of the grass.
"Nathan Pearce, Dan Withers, Mark Walsh and myself came back from Hillwood so it's nice to have those boys coming back with you to training and stuff like that, a few familiar faces - not that there's not familiar faces here already.
"It's been good to have those boys there and good to see Dan Withers having a crack in the State League."
Widely acknowledged as the state's best centre half-forward after TSL team of the year selections in 2017 and 2018, Bennett will add even more class to an already potent Northern Bombers forward line.
Key tall trio Bart McCulloch, Jackson Callow and Will Edmunds were restricted to a combined 28 games last season - leaving three midfield types in Brad Cox-Goodyer, Taylor Whitford and Dakota Bannister to top North's goalkicking - but should play week in, week out this season and form a dangerous partnership with Bennett and Zach Burt.
"There are some targets up in the forward line with Burta coming back and Bart and Jacko Callow, Will Edmunds and Jake Laskey and stuff like that," Bennett said.
"There's a lot of marking targets up there so you've just got to adapt, play your role and try and do other roles if you have to."
North Launceston will host North Hobart in a 2.30pm season opener on Saturday.
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Hamish Geale
Hamish Geale is a senior reporter at The Examiner. Got good news? Email: hgeale@examiner.com.au
Hamish Geale is a senior reporter at The Examiner. Got good news? Email: hgeale@examiner.com.au
