TODD Goldstein thinks it's about time that he and his North Melbourne teammates had a later start to pre-season training.

While players from finals teams such as Geelong, Collingwood and Hawthorn have been seen enjoying their off-season breaks at the Spring Carnival or the President's Cup over the past month, the Kangaroos have been working their backsides off in preparation for 2012.

First there was the three-week high altitude camp in Utah, with mountain hikes in near-freezing temperatures and gut-busting fitness sessions.

Then, back in Melbourne, it was straight into a week of heavy training, culminating in a two kilometre time trial (won by recruit Will Sierakowski) on Friday morning, followed immediately by a long set of 100m sprints - up a steep hill.

It seems like a lot of hard toil when the bounce of the ball for season 2012 is still more than four months away.

But Goldstein knows the work will be worth it.

And he also knows that there's only one way for he and his mates to earn themselves a shorter pre-season next year: make the finals.

"We've still got the memory of sitting back and watching the finals fresh in our minds," the star ruckman told AFL.com.au after finishing the running session on Friday.

"It's two years in a row that we've finished ninth, and we really need to try and take that next step.

"You know when you don't make the finals you've got to start pre-season earlier, so that's more motivation to make the finals and not have to come back in the middle of October.

"It makes you want it even more."

Goldstein is yet to taste September action in his 58-game career to date, but is confident that's about to change.

The Roos were quiet during Trade Week, bringing in only Sierakowski from Hawthorn in exchange for a draft pick.

They're confident that the basis of a successful team is already in place.

"It's been spoken about a lot that we've had quite a young list, and we're all starting to come through together now," Goldstein said. 

"I think in my [draft] year [2006] the club started to try and get that young list going, and now we've got four or five years under our belts.

"I think the development is really coming, and we're due to really make some noise."

While 2011 was huge for Goldstein on the field - he shouldered ruck responsibilities solo in the absence of the injured Hamish McIntosh and emerged as one of the League's premier big men - it was also a memorable one away from football.

The 23-year-old experienced his first year as a father (he missed last November's Utah trip to be at the birth of daughter Olivia), and has just become engaged to girlfriend Kirsty.

Thankfully for the young star, this year's camp was moved forward a week, meaning he was home for Olivia's first birthday on Friday - albeit with celebrations having to squeeze in around his training commitments.

"It [fatherhood] has been a joy of my life, and it's made a big difference in my game as well," Goldstein said.

"It gives me a bit extra to work for and to think about when I'm out there."

In a promising sign for 2012, North Melbourne's list is at close to 100 per cent health.

Cam Richardson is still recovering from hip surgery and Daniel Wells must avoid contact drills after having blood clots removed from his lungs, but everyone else is in full training.

Notably, McIntosh has completely overcome the achilles problems that ruined his 2011 season, and has been impressing on the track.

Goldstein is looking forward to resuming the partnership, although it'll be a different dynamic to when the pair last played together before the introduction of the AFL's substitute rule.

"With only three on the bench you can't afford to have a ruckman sitting there for 50 per cent of the game, so we're going to have to go forward and try and make the most of our opportunities there," he said.

"But I think we've both shown that we can go forward and play in the ruck, and I think we both bring something slightly different to the side.

"We've shown that we can work well together, and hopefully we can build on that relationship."

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs