Chance to show off for Tassie young guns

A TASTE of Tasmania’s best footballing talent will be on display today at the MCG, but it won’t just be North Melbourne star forward Ben Brown.

The curtain-raiser to the Melbourne v North Melbourne match will see the Kangaroos’ VFL side take on the AIS in a practice game.

North Launceston excitement machine Tarryn Thomas will be strutting his stuff for the AIS, a group of Australia’s best underage talent.

But he won’t be the sole Tasmanian on the big stage.

Lauderdale’s Nic Baker will be lining up for North Melbourne as part of the program to get Tasmania’s best young talent competing on a higher stage. Baker, 17, only flew over on Thursday night for his first game with the Roos and on the MCG.

“It is really nerve-racking,” Baker said of his MCG debut.

“It is just the best opportunity to play at that level and experience what the rest of Australia are at and have a good crack while I’m over there.

“I trained with them today to get a vague idea what they are about and how they want me to play and what they want me to get out of it. It is good in that sense, but it would have been great to train with them a little bit more before I played with them.”

Baker is yet to play a senior game with the Bombers having crossed from North Hobart during the pre-season.

He believes the transfer will help him in his pursuit of his AFL dream.

“The environment I thought would be better this year than I thought North Hobart was going to be,” the Elizabeth College student said.

“They had a lot more experienced, developed players that I think I need to work around if I think I’m going to pursue a career in footy.’’