North Melbourne's players have put finals on the agenda this season, confident they've had all the growing room they need to become an AFL force.

The Kangaroos' encouraging 2010 season in which they missed the finals on percentage has buoyed the young side, who rose far above than what was expected by most to be a year of rebuilding.

But midfielder Liam Anthony said now the players could not use youth or rebuilding as excuses, and that a long, tough pre-season had them ready to build on their promise.

"We're fitter than we ever have been. We're confident, we're young - which is no excuse this year. We feel like we're going to make finals," Anthony said on Thursday.

"That's not just a maybe. We have a real belief we're going to make the top eight this year.

"You can look forward to a bunch of young, enthusiastic boys who are ready to take this club back to where it belongs, and that's September."

The Kangaroos are able to put aside a turbulent off-field election battle when their pre-season campaign kicks off against the Western Bulldogs and Geelong in the new shortened three-team first round stage on Sunday.

While Anthony says North are among those clubs looking to build for round one rather than target winning the NAB Cup, few players are anticipating the pre-season tournament more.

One of the Kangaroos' brightest prospects, Anthony has not played since seriously injuring his shoulder in round seven last year.

The 23-year-old has weathered a shoulder reconstruction and the sharp end of a lung-burning pre-season which kicked off in October with a high altitude camp in Utah.

Anthony gives the impression of an elite midfielder-in-waiting, regularly picking up 20 to 30 touches in nearly all his 17 matches to date.

But the brilliance has been blighted by injuries in his two seasons at North - stress fractures in his foot delaying his 2009 debut.

"It's been about nine months since my last game so I'm hanging out to get down to Skilled Stadium on Sunday," he said.

"I've been through the doctors and physios and they've given me the all-clear so I'm pretty happy with the way my shoulder is at the moment."

Anthony and fellow 2010 long-term injury-listers Drew Petrie and Jack Ziebell have been named in the squad to play on Sunday, along with exciting rookie Majak Daw.

Western Bulldogs forward Daniel Giansiracusa is confident his club can show their premiership window remains ajar despite a third successive preliminary final defeat last season.

The Dogs have named new recruits Patrick Veszpremi, Justin Sherman and Nathan Djerrkura in their NAB Cup squad.

"It's been documented that we've lost some experience, but what we've gained is going to be fantastic for us," Giansiracusa said.

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