McIntosh has missed the last two weeks with a shoulder injury, but was given the all-clear on Thursday to join understudy Todd Goldstein against the competition's premier ruckman, Aaron Sandilands.
The 25-year-old suggested greater aggression could help him produce the four-quarter efforts that coach Brad Scott had demanded of him earlier this season.
"I can definitely be angry," McIntosh said. "Obviously the biggest guy on the ground [for his team] needs to set an example.
"That's an area I want to improve, and hopefully it can start this week against the biggest bloke in the league.
"[And] he's the best ruckman in the comp, so you always want to see how you go against the best."
Frustrated with his form, McIntosh met with Scott after the side's comprehensive loss to the Sydney Swans in round four to discuss how he could increase his impact on games.
Later that week, Scott threw the spotlight on his player, publicly challenging him to move on from his modest start to 2010 and assert himself on more contests.
"I'd played some really good halves of footy in those first four games, but kind of floated or drifted out of the game in the other halves," McIntosh said.
"It was more about getting a bit more consistency in my footy. I had a chat with him (Scott) that week and then I was able to put some good four-quarter efforts together against Hawthorn and Melbourne, which was encouraging.
"Your follow-ups, your aggression and your ruck work have always got to keep evolving each year."
However, McIntosh said he had learnt a lot from watching and playing against Sandilands, who's comfortably leading the league in hit-outs this year but is also Fremantle's best contested ball-winner.
"Aaron's very mobile for his size, moving around the ground, and you really admire how he goes about his follow-ups, contested possessions and clearances," McIntosh said.
"That's an area of the game every ruckman would like to be No.1 at. The way he's managed to go forward and impact his marking around the ground this year ... he's taken 20-odd contested marks for the season and is kicking a few goals as well.
"You need to get your engine up and about and play like a midfielder - like Dean Cox or Aaron Sandilands - getting those 20 or 25 possessions a game."
And McIntosh agreed with another of Scott's earlier assessments that North should look to Fremantle's stoppage model, where that side dominates clearances even when its ruckmen don't win the hit-out.
North does not have a full-time ruck coach this year, with those responsibilities falling to midfield coach Darren Crocker and development manager Jon Haines.
However, past player Alex Ishchenko has been visiting Arden Street every two or three weeks for some extra work with McIntosh, Goldstein, David Hale and Drew Petrie.
