NORTH Melbourne president James Brayshaw has reaffirmed his club's desire to play games in Hobart past the end of the existing agreement which is due to expire at the end of 2016. 

The Kangaroos will play Richmond, in one of their three games in Hobart, at Blundstone Arena on Saturday, with a near sell-out crowd expected for the clash between the two Melbourne-based clubs. 

Brayshaw said although formal discussions were yet to take place, the Kangaroos were keen to keep their Tasmanian partnership in tact.

"We think it's (playing in Hobart) brilliant and we want it to keep it going. There's lots of hurdles to jump with anything like this to get it where we need to get it to," Brayshaw said in Tasmania on Friday. 

"Every single experience we've had with footy in Hobart has been absolutely magnificent so there's no reason we'd want to do anything differently." 

The Kangaroos reached an agreement with the Hobart City Council, the Tasmanian government and Cricket Tasmania, which manages Blundstone Arena, to play three games a year at the venue in 2015 and 2016. 

The Roos have just ticked over 5000 Tasmanian-based members, which according to Brayshaw, emphasises the support his club enjoys in the state. 

"It says we get great support every time we come here. The southern part of Tasmania and Hobart is a glorious place to play footy," Brayshaw said. 

"Every time Melbourne clubs come here to play us, it works. 

"We think the people of Hobart are part of our family and they have shown that by turning up, joining up (as members) and buying merchandise."

Brayshaw said he was in constant dialogue with all the major Tasmanian stakeholders about how the partnership was functioning. 

He added that discussions on a new deal to keep North playing games in Hobart from 2017 would continue in the not too distant future. 

After Saturday's game against the Tigers, North Melbourne has matches against West Coast in round 10 and St Kilda in round 20 to come at the Tasmanian venue.