The inclusion of stars Brian Lake, Adam Cooney and Shaun Higgins will provide the Western Bulldogs with a huge psychological boost, ruckman Will Minson says.
The trio has been named in the Dogs' 29-man squad for Sunday's NAB Cup clash with Carlton at Etihad Stadium.
Lake is returning after undergoing post-season operations on a hip, shoulder and knee, while Cooney (knee) and Higgins have also been passed fit to take on the Blues.
Minson was enthusiastic about the Bulldogs' additions.
"Absolutely, [I'm] looking forward to seeing them all play," Minson said.
"It'll be great fun to have them back out on the field.
"I think even Andrew Hooper will be a chance to get a game this week, which will be great. So there's a lot of players returning to match practice, which is terrific."
He revealed the Bulldogs had benefited enormously from a change in focus in the weights room, which had been instigated by coach Brendan McCartney.
"'Macca' has brought a much stronger focus towards the leg weights," Minson said.
"We've definitely been lifting much heavier in the leg weights. We've done a hell of a lot more of that and that's probably been the biggest change - the bottom-half development, as far as squatting and deadlifting and that kind of stuff.
"[It's] in correlation with contested ball work, and I think that's been his focus and that's been a big change."
Something that hasn’t changed from the Bulldogs' NAB Cup opener in Blacktown is their selection of three ruckmen - Minson, Jordan Roughead and Ayce Cordy.
"In the short term, with the [NAB Cup] rules, it will probably work very differently to how it'll work when the season starts," Minson said.
"There's still plenty of games of football to be played before we know anything about [what] our round one team will look like. It's [up to] all of us to play well.
"Tall players [who] take marks and kick goals, they fit in any team. We saw that last year, especially in the finals. Let's not restrict the number of big men on the footy field."
The modest 26-year-old was reluctant to discuss his role as the Bulldogs' No. 1 ruckman.
"We'll worry about that when I'm playing good football and that is the case," Minson said.
When pressed, he added:
"No question I'm better suited to the ruck and I'm looking forward to having a good season and playing well as the starting ruckman at the footy club."
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Click here to view the Western Bulldogs squad for the NAB Cup match against Carlton.
