WESTERN Bulldogs ruckman Will Minson is confident he has emerged stronger and better placed to tackle this season after putting a disastrous 12 months behind him.

The 25-year-old had a forgettable 2010 after missing almost the entire pre-season following toe surgery and a bout of soy milk poisoning that played havoc on his metabolism and energy levels and led to him being dropped twice.

Now, after an eight-week holiday to clear his head and a strong pre-season during which he has stripped weight and is in peak fitness, Minson feels ready to take on 2011 and fight for his spot in the Dogs' ruck.

"I'd had a pretty disastrous year and I needed to get away," Minson told afl.com.au.

"Quite often people have a two-week holiday and it's tremendous and they come home and wish they were still on holidays. I reckon that's a really negative thing.

"I took an eight-week holiday and was ready to come home.

"Last year taught me the value of a good pre-season. It was the first one I'd missed in my entire career, and you can't just get out there and make it happen. You have to have the tickets in the bank.

"My pre-season prior to Christmas was terrific and I haven't missed a session."

Minson started his travels in Hong Kong with his teammates before flying to India with Tim Callan and Liam Picken to work with the charity Red Dust Role Models.

It was a trip Minson was supposed to take in 2009 but was forced to postpone when surgery on his toe was scheduled.

The trio spent 10 days in Bangalore, where they attended a Test match and watched Sachin Tendulkar notch up his 14,000th run, before moving to Mumbai.

"It was an amazing experience. I'd definitely go back," Minson said.

"The slums were incredible. There's anxiety of being lost in three seconds. One step you encounter the most nauseating stench you can imagine and the very next metre it's the most fragrant smelling cooking that just draws you in.

"You're walking over drains and open sewers and then suddenly there's a clean fruit and vegetable shop in the middle of the slum. And they live so happily and so gracefully."

From there, it was on to London where he met up with his older brother. After a few days there they travelled together to Barcelona and then to France.

"The French Riviera was beautiful; good food, good wine, good cheese, and good times with my family, which you don't often get to have," Minson said.

Minson kept training throughout the holiday, and even managed to secure a session with Tottenham Hotspurs' physical conditioning coach when the players were out of town on Champions League duties.

He planned four nights in Dubai - to feed his interest in his university studies of civil engineering - but had to return to Melbourne after his exam schedule was issued.

Since last season he has shed nearly all the weight that piled on as a result of the soy milk incident and says he's working to lose a few more.

This season, with the impact of the substitute rule on him, Ben Hudson and Jordan Roughead unknown, he's ready to accept any challenge thrown his way.

"There's always competition for spots and that makes players better. It means I have to work harder to get a spot and that will be good," Minson said.

"If I'm getting a spot I will have improved and I'm looking forward to that. It's going to be interesting to see."

Will Minson is a $262,300 ruckman in the Toyota AFL Dream Team competition