Former NRL star Ben Barba will play in the curtain-raiser game before St Kilda's clash with Adelaide in Cairns today.<\/p>\n
The former Dally M player of the year was banned for life from the NRL after video emerged of him allegedly being violent towards his partner Ainslie Currie.<\/p>\n
The 32-year-old took up AFL and has been playing local Aussie rules football in North Queensland.<\/p>\n
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The former fullback was selected to play in a representative game before the Saints and Crows play at Cazalys Stadium, in the annual match against South Queensland.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year it emerged Barba was reportedly on the radar of rugby league teams in the North American Rugby League competition but nothing came of it. <\/p>\n
He switched to AFL last year and made headlines when he kicked 13 goals making his club debut for the Eastern Swans in the Mackay Senior Men's Cup competition.<\/p>\n
Despite his troubled past, his new teammates are happy to have him in the side according to Melbourne Demons great and coach of the North Queensland representative side Aaron Davey.<\/p>\n
"I know Benny personally, it'll be awesome to have him and great for the community," Davey said.<\/p>\n
"But in saying, that he's done what he's done at the highest level in NRL and [under] unfortunate circumstances he's playing a different code.<\/p>\n
"But he's doing awesome stuff and I think our boys are more pumped having him playing than me coaching him, so that's a blessing."<\/p>\n
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