Former Tiger Robin Nahas is confident there is room for him and Lindsay Thomas in North Melbourne's forward line.

Nahas joined the Roos as a delisted free agent last November, having been effectively forced out of Punt Road by Richmond's decision to rotate an extra midfielder through attack last year at the expense of a small forward.

The 26-year-old knows he is no walk-up start at North.

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Not when Thomas carried North's small forward duties so effectively on his own last year, kicking a career-high 53 goals and making the preliminary All Australian squad.

But Nahas came away from his initial discussions with North coach Brad Scott confident the Roos saw a role for him alongside Thomas.

Having now spent a pre-season training with Thomas, Nahas has seen first-hand how well the partnership could work.

"I've found it pretty good early on, we've trained pretty well together," Nahas said at North's Australia Post Community Camp in Ballarat.

"But I'm just going to have to wait and see how it goes. Hopefully, I'll get a game in the NAB Challenge game (against Carlton) next Saturday and see how I go in the real stuff.

"I'm just trying to complement Lindsay to be honest, to do whatever I can to get him as many goals as he wants."

Nahas says defence more than goals will be the key to his fortunes at North.

"I have to be elite defensively," he says.

"If I'm on defensively, then hopefully all the rest takes care of itself.

"It's an attitude thing with me and I'll do whatever it takes to play."

Nahas has impressed everyone at North with his work ethic this summer, having been among the leaders in most time trials.

The small forward is contracted at North for one year and says he is determined to give his second AFL chance everything he has.

He also realises he would not have that chance if North had beaten Adelaide in the race for Carlton free agent Eddie Betts last year.

"North felt they needed another small forward. But they were after Eddie Betts initially, so I'm sort of happy that fell through in the end to be honest," Nahas says with a laugh.

"I got lucky enough to get a second chance and I'm just rapt to be part of North Melbourne."

Nahas played 82 games and kicked 100 goals in five seasons at Richmond.

He played every game in 2011 and 2012, but managed just six matches last season as Jake King cemented himself as the Tigers' small forward.