Former Fremantle player Jesse Crichton is preparing to play his second game for Scottsdale on Saturday.
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The bottom-of-the-ladder Pies will be chasing their first win when they host George Town in NTFA premier round six at 2.30pm.
The Saints are seventh with one win and four losses.
Crichton, who played 18 matches and kicked three goals for the Dockers from 2010-13, booted two majors on debut for the Pies against South Launceston last weekend.
Coach Joel Hayes said the 32-year-old would be available for a few weeks and that he was playing midfield/forward.
"He had a bit of a sore calf the week before and didn't play but he got through training last week and played and then got through all right ... (it was great) for the young guys just to see how he how he prepares and goes about it."
Hayes said Crichton grew up in Derby and played for Branxholm in the NEFU and then North Launceston as well as the Tassie Mariners (now Devils).
He was drafted by Fremantle at pick 48 in the 2009 draft.
In another highlight, the Magpies have had numerous recruits this season and Hayes indicated there were more to come.
He said the likes of under-16 players Deagen Young, who is playing midfield/forward, and Lochie Bowerman, who is playing a mix of backline and forward, had accounted for themselves well.
They are also in the under-16 NTJFA representative squad.
Hayes said he was being proactive as a coach with the young players, giving them the opportunity to play in different positions.
He said the benefits would show in the long term.
"Probably in three of the games, we've been a fair bit behind a three-quarter-time so we've thrown thrown a few magnets around and given guys an opportunity to play in different positions where they'd probably normally wouldn't," he said.
"So that probably has accounted for a couple of the games blowing out but like I said to the guys 'there's no point us playing in the same spot when we're going to get beaten by 100 points, we might as well give you guys a run around somewhere else in case someone gets injured and then you're not thrown in the deep end when it happens'."
It's otherwise been a tough start to the season for the Pies who have lost by 139 points to Hillwood, 122 to Longford, 80 to Bracknell and 165 to South Launceston.
"It's been a little bit of a struggle in the first three or four games but guys are improving from the first game to the last game against South," Hayes said.
"Obviously the scoreboard probably doesn't say that but definitely guys in the team, especially the younger guys have improved every week.
"So that's all we can ask for really with what we're going with."
Scottsdale defeated George Town at home by 33 points in round one last year as Kyle Lanham was best on ground with five goals.
The Saints won their second encounter of 2023 by three points at Blue Gum Park with Lanham also kicking five goals as the Pies' best.
"He's definitely a target up forward and someone to kick a few goals for us, he obviously hasn't kicked too many this year,' Hayes said.
"He'll play down there, he's been playing a bit on ball as well just helping the guys out ... if we get the right match-up down there for him, we'll look to him to take advantage of it for sure."
There have personnel changes since the pair last met with the Saints adding the likes of Arthur Schilling and Alex Tubb from North Launceston as well as Darcy Layh and former soccer player James Hawes.
They've lost former co-coach Adam Zanevra (moved to Victoria) and Scott Reitsema (Rocherlea).