Friday night football in Tasmania seemed like a perfectly sound idea, and a sellout crowd will file into Blundstone Arena as North Melbourne and Richmond begin round 11 this weekend - the first Friday night game held in the Apple Isle.

Yet while there may be plenty of excitement in the Tasmanian capital, conditions aren't going to be comfortable. One reason why there has been a dearth of night football in Tasmania has been because the temperature after dark is rarely hospitable.

And so it will be when the Kangaroos take on the Tigers, with the mercury set to plummet to three degrees.

The AFL does not keep records on weather for home and away games, only doing so for grand finals. The league says the lowest grand final temperature recorded was 11 degrees for the 2009 decider between Geelong and St Kilda.

It won't be the only game this weekend at which the weather could be a nuisance. Up to 100mm of rain is forecast on the Gold Coast on Saturday, which could make things interesting when the hometown Suns go up against Sydney on Saturday night at Metricon Stadium.

North will be coached by veteran assistant Darren Crocker after senior coach Brad Scott was hospitalised in Melbourne with a viral condition. It will be the third time Crocker has taken the helm of the Roos.