TSL: Josiah Burling returns, Isaac Hyatt and Jack Donnellan back

Regaining skipper Jobi Harper for his third game of the season, the Blues have also welcomed back tough forward Jack Donnellan from a shoulder injury sooner than expected.

Second-gamer Josiah Burling and 17-year-old Isaac Hyatt will play their first senior game of the season, with Bowen Pearce and Liam Canny dropping back to the development league.

Jay Blackberry (corkie) will be given another week to rest up while coach Mitch Thorp misses with a fractured thumb.

Thorp said he was proud to give 19-year-old Burling his first senior game in two years after the former Longford talent began the year serving two separate suspensions.

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"He served a 12-week suspension at the start of the year which was a really difficult period, at the same time dealing with his mum who's terminally ill," Thorp said.

"It's been an extremely challenging year for a young man and to watch him mature through a really difficult part of his life and then to return and play some really high level development league footy - it's really pleasing for him and his family for him to play senior footy this weekend.

"From a football viewpoint what started out as a really difficult year could well be a really positive finish to the season so we're rapt for him."

A Blue since 2016, Donnellan was one of the unluckiest to miss out on last year's senior grand final and had been in career-best form before going down in the win at Lauderdale earlier this month.

The 23-year-old had been set to miss up to six weeks, but took just three to return to full fitness, while 17-year-old Hyatt will play his first senior game since round nine last year.

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"Missing out on last year's grand final for [Jack] has been a really big driver - when he got the injury literally the next day he was in the physio and he's done a great job," Thorp said.

"He's done a power of work in a vert short period of time.

"[Isaac] had some surgery on his knee early in the season and that got infected so he had to go back in for more surgery so it's been long-winded journey.

"He's played three games back in the development league and we rate him so highly that he's now back in to the senior team which is really nice."

North Hobart has made eight changes courtesy of a Tassie Devils intra-club match scheduled for Kingston on Sunday.

Devils Sam Banks-Smith, George McLeod, Keegan Ryan, Jye Menzie, Dominic White, Tyler McGinniss and Will Splann join Hugh Williams junior on a lengthy outs list, with key tall Nathan Hardy headlining the ins.

The Demons are searching for their first win over Launceston since 2019, and their first win at Windsor Park since 2017, when Nic Baker inspired Hobart City to a nine-point victory.

LAUNCESTON v NORTH HOBART

Windsor Park, Saturday 2pm

LAUNCESTON

In: J. Harper, J. Burling, J. Donnellan, I. Hyatt

Out: J. Blackberry, M. Thorp, B. Pearce, L. Canny

NORTH HOBART

In: D. Ford, J. Bingham, T. Millhouse, A. Keeling, R. Higgins, J. Willmott, N. Hardy, I. Mathewson,

Out: S. Banks-Smith, G. Mcleod, K. Ryan, J. Menzie, D. White, T. McGinniss, W. Splann, H. Williams