Kangaroos full forward Nathan Thompson will finally play his first AFL match at Carrara on Saturday night after being largely the promotional face of the club on the Gold Coast last season.

Thompson will return to the tourist strip for the clash with the West Coast Eagles seven games and 18 goals into his comeback from a knee reconstruction that saw him miss the entire 2007 season.

The popular 30-year-old was restricted to promotional duty while on the injured list last year, and became well-known to locals.

But he’s shown no signs of his knee problems this year and after topping the Roos goal-kicking list in 2005-06 in on track to do likewise again this year while sitting 10th on the AFL goal-kicking list.

West Coast, too, will show off a Carrara debutant at full forward on Saturday night, with 21-year-old Ben McKinley set to make his first appearance on the Gold Coast in his seventh AFL game.

McKinley, who made his AFL debut late last season, is the Eagles No.1 goal-kicker this season with 14 despite being overlooked at selection for the first two games.

West Coast will play their first game at Carrara in 16 years but will have fond memories of the venue.

They were unbeaten at the ground during the Brisbane Bears era from 1987-92, with four wins and a draw in ‘92 when Queensland teenager Ray Windsor kicked a goal after the siren for the Bears to level the scores. It was the only AFL draw recorded at Carrara.