Every ground has its quirks, whether it's the MCG, Marvel Stadium, Arden Street Oval, or any ground in the country all the way down to local level. Playing in a new or different environment presents all sorts of challenges for players.

As North Melbourne travels to TIO Stadium for the first time in its history this weekend, there will be more than just a new ground challenging them. With a forecast of over 30 degrees and humidity of over 60 per cent, the game looks set to play out very differently than it would in cold and rainy Melbourne.

Kangaroos co-vice captain Jy Simpkin does have some prior experience of playing in the Northern Territory, and he's excited to be presented the opportunity to play up there again.

"It's going to be awesome. I haven't played up there since I was 15 years old," Simpkin said.

"My memories from that are that it's going to be a very hot, very sweaty, slippery game. All the boys are very pumped and excited.

"We're pumped for 'Jedda' (Jed Anderson) to be able to play a game in front of his family and all his locals from Darwin. It's going to be an awesome experience."

Anderson looks set to play the first AFL game of his near decade-long career in his hometown this weekend, and there's no doubting all of his family and friends will be turning out to watch him and his fellow Kangaroos take on the Suns on Saturday.

As a proud Warramunga man, Anderson is strongly connected to the lands on which he grew up. He says he's excited to return home with the goal of earning four premiership points.

"It's very special to be able to play in this round. It's emotional but it's a small part in a bigger community," he said.

"I've never played in front of all my family back home in Darwin. It's going to be very special and very emotional but I'm very excited.

"To wear the Indigenous jumper up there in not only Darwin itself but where I'm from in Katherine is huge."