The last time Chris Swan played at the Gabba he had an Aussie rules football in his hands.

Twelve years on, the 28-year-old wants another chance to shine at the Brisbane venue - as part of the Queensland Bulls cricket team.

The Gold Coast allrounder trained with the Queensland team for the first time on Thursday after spending the morning soaking up the Gabba surrounds that had changed dramatically since he last ran onto the ground.

"I haven't played at the Gabba since the Queensland under-16 Aussie rules trials - it's changed a bit since then," Swan said.

Swan was the bolter of the Bulls XII named for the Pura Cup clash against NSW starting at the Gabba on Friday.

NSW paceman Stuart Clark and teammate Phil Jaques will be anxious to impress at the Pura Cup clash as they battle to seal Australian selection for the Ashes series which starts in Brisbane on November 23.

But Swan reckons he will be the most nervous as he sweats on receiving his first Pura Cup nod 12 years after making his first grade cricket debut for the Gold Coast Dolphins.

Swan said he had spent a "restless" week since being included in the Bulls XII alongside fellow debutant and paceman Grant Sullivan.

He joined the Queensland team for his only training session before the Bulls XI is finalised, after getting time off from his "day-job" as a pest and building inspector.

The former Queensland and Australian under-17 rep answered a Bulls SOS after Michael Kasprowicz (back), Nathan Rimington (shoulder) and Ashley Noffke (back) were injured, and Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson went on national duty in India.

"I've been pretty happy to wait in line. We've had some pretty decent fast bowlers come through the ranks here," Swan said.

"We have won six (Sheffield Shield/Pura Cup) trophies in that time, so the selectors have not been making too many blues, have they?"

It was a belated reward for Swan who decided to hang up his footy boots just weeks after his last Gabba game as a 16-year-old.

"I remember sitting in the dressing rooms at the (under-16 Aussie rules) nationals and whispering to the coach `I don't really feel like playing today'," he said.

"I knew then and there that footy wasn't for me."

The self-confessed "lower end slogger" is more known as a bowler and is just 22 scalps shy of former Test bowler Scott Muller's Gold Coast club record of 324 wickets.

The match also looms as a landmark game for NSW duo Jaques and Clark.

Jaques will be keen to bounce back from his failure (3) in NSW's 65-run Ford Ranger Cup loss to Queensland at the Gabba as he vies for an Australian opening spot.

Veteran Justin Langer sent a message to those predicting the end of his Test career with an unbeaten 188 in the Pura Cup clash with Tasmania this week.

And Clark will be anxious to shrug off his 1-65 in his first game back from a thigh injury as he battles to overtake Johnson for an Ashes berth.

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