Thomas targeting a home game as North Melbourne prepare to face Sydney at Blundstone Arena

Talented Tassie teen Tarryn Thomas is only six games into his AFL career but North Melbourne skipper Jack Ziebell already has him earmarked as a “genuine superstar” of the future.

North Melbourne’s new Tassie recruit Tarryn Thomas on the Hobart waterfront. Picture: PATRICK GEE

TALENTED Tasmanian teenager Tarryn Thomas is only six games into his AFL career but North Melbourne skipper Jack Ziebell already has him earmarked as a “genuine superstar” of the future.

Thomas, in his first year at the Roos, will play his first AFL game in Tasmania tonight when North Melbourne takes on the Sydney Swans at Blundstone Arena.

The 19-year-old’s debut season has certainly caught the eye of Ziebell for both his on-field and off-field performances.

“He’s been an absolute standout for me,” Ziebell told the Mercury.

“He’s so laid back and relaxed out there and you can see that he has a huge future in the AFL — he will be a genuine superstar in the years to come.

“The thing that probably surprised me the most is his attack on the footy and the man — he’s a tackling machine and loves to roll his sleeves up and put his head over the ball.

“I think people from the outside see a relatively quiet, shy Tarryn, but inside the club, he’s a real character and someone that has fitted in seamlessly.”

Thomas is excited about his return home, and has told the Mercury how his relationship with a fellow Tasmanian has fast-tracked his development.