After a three-point result in October, Kane Sanders' Blues were 75-point winners when the two sides met in the opening round of 2021.

Since then, Launceston and North have dropped just one game each - 34 and 45-point losses to Clarence respectively - to sit second and third on the ladder.

RELATED: Blues complete yo-yo in D-League thriller

North coach Brenton Gale said he was looking forward to measuring his side's growth in the 4.30pm derby at UTAS Stadium.

"At the start of the year with so many new faces, it's about just making sure everyone understands their role," Gale said.

"It's going to be a really good chance for us to see the improvement we've made because Launceston's clearly the benchmark."

The two sides are almost unrecognisable from last year, with just six Blues (Bailey Gillow, Liam Canny, Sam Foley, Jayden Hinds, Denzel McLean and Tom McShane) and four Bombers (Andy Potter, Alistair Bourne, Blade Sulzberger and Oliver Chugg) from the 2020 grand final playing development league last weekend.

The Bombers quartet have been among the side's best so far this year, with Chugg kicking eight in a big win over Tigers and Potter and Sulzberger making instant impacts after injury lay-offs.

MORE FOOTY: 14 Tasmanians nominate for mid-season draft

NTJFA announces representative squads for STJFL game

Chayce Jones positive in AFL return, VFL trio solid

"[Sulzberger] didn't play the first couple of games because he had an ankle injury, but since coming back into the side ... he's taken his footy to a new level," Gale said.

"Ali Bourne has had a really strong pre-season ... he's just a really dependable and reliable player so I reckon he'll get a chance at some stage and Andy Potter's probably the other one.

"He was probably right in the frame to play round one, he just missed out and then dislocated his finger quite badly.

"That was his first game back last week and he took some really strong marks for us so I reckon at some stage he'll play some senior footy."

Despite losing to Clarence, the Blues boast the best percentage in the league (451.76) and have enjoyed four wins of 100-points-plus.

Like North, the Blues have been fielding plenty of under-18 players with two 16-year-olds catching Sanders' eye.

"Arie Schoenmaker ... he looks quite promising down one end and at the other end I've got another young 16-year-old Khai Lunson, so we've got some young blokes at either end holding us up," Sanders said.

"Bailey Gillow has been outstanding all year, he's a Devils player and he's shown good leadership while Tom McShane my captain's been out, but Tom's back in now which makes a bit of a difference in the midfield.

"The guys have been wining by fair margins ... they probably think 'this D-league caper is pretty easy' when it's actually not.

"We came up against Clarence who was stronger and bigger and they'll learn from that and I think we'll get a pretty good contest this Friday night too."