Western Bulldogs ruckman Will Minson says his teammates can’t wait to sink their teeth into their first official hit-out tomorrow night in the NAB Cup opener against the Pies and Bombers tomorrow night.

After slogging it out over the summer, with the healthiest list in years, Minson said the team will focus on shaping its game plan over the NAB Cup campaign and chalk up some wins along the way.

“[We will take the NAB Cup] very seriously, it forms an important part of your pre-season training and ultimately for the remainder of the year, so we’re really looking forward to tomorrow night and can’t wait to play some footy,” Minson said.

“I think the most important  thing is we put in place all the training techniques and all the game styles we learnt over the summer and we start to see them take shape.

“Everyone likes winning games of football…if there’s a chance to win a contest and all that sort of stuff, the natural instincts take over and we’ll be going our hardest.”

The Bulldogs go into the NAB Cup Opener with an experienced side, as well as some youngsters that have impressed in recent months.

Jackson Macrae has been rewarded for his impressive form and will line up in the red, white and blue for the first time, along with fellow recruits Nick Lower, Tom Young and rookies Brett Goodes and Jack Redpath.

But it’s Club stalwart Dale Morris’ return after 18 months rehabilitating a broken leg, that has the team most excited.

Minson said the team will be given a huge boost by Dale’s presence and that his competitive nature will be an asset out on the ground.

“Dale is such a loved member of the Western Bulldogs… he’s a valuable player and we’re looking forward to his progression over the coming weeks,” Minson said.

"He's such a ruthless competitor, he's got a never-say-die attitude…  we'd be happy with him anywhere on the ground.

"If the ball is there to be won or there's an opponent to beat he'll give it his best shot and that's what we love about Dale.''