Last year, Drew Petrie was the main target in North’s forward line with the imposing All-Australian pulling down more contested marks than most other forwards in the league.

But this year, assistant coach Brett Allison expects the side to explore other avenues in attack due to the number of options the club has emerging.

"We were probably too Drew conscious and there was no doubt the teams we played against were Drew conscious as well, so we probably played into their hands a bit," Allison told The Age’s Matt Murnane.

"It was the Port Adelaide game [round 14] last year where Drew had about 13 marks and had a day out. For the next five weeks we basically kicked the ball to Drew all the time.

Allison, the side’s forward-line coach, believes the team can play much smarter in 2012.

"Oppositions obviously do their homework, so they start to drop off one or two of our other forwards and support the defender that's on Drew. But I would like to think we won't be anywhere near as predictable this year. We've got some genuine size down there now and it's been difficult for our defenders to combat so far [in pre-season]."

On Tuesday in Ballarat, the club held its first real hit-out of the pre-season and spectators got a glimpse of Robbie Tarrant in front of goals and athletic youngster Aaron Black.

Aaron Edwards, Lindsay Thomas, Cam Pedersen, Ben McKinley, Ben Warren, Hamish McIntosh and Todd Goldstein will also be key planks in the Roos’ attack giving Brad Scott plenty of options come team selection. Tom Curran and Ayden Kennedy may also feature when they recover from their respective injuries.

Petrie kicked a career-best and team-high 48 goals last season while Edwards finished with 36; his best ever return.

Meanwhile new vice-captain Jack Ziebell has told the Herald Sun’s Glenn McFarlane the team is desperate to play finals.

Speaking from the team’s Community Camp in Ballarat, the 20-year old wants his fourth year at the club to be a successful one.

"I would love to get out there and get a taste of it. Hopefully this year we can play some more consistent footy throughout the year and not drop as many games that we should just win.

"… I haven't played finals footy yet, so I wouldn't mind knowing what it feels like.

"If we can pick those close games up, and become a much more competitive side against the top sides, then we will go a long way to making that happen."

A contender for the role as captain, Ziebell says the right decision was made to anoint Andrew Swallow as leader.

"It's a great honour to be a vice-captain of the North Melbourne Football Club, and I can't wait to get in there with Drewie (Drew Petrie) and support Andrew," he said.

Brad Scott said Ziebell was close to getting the nod, but wasn’t quite ready.

"The bottom line when you are 20 years of age, as highly as I regard him, you don't know what you don't know," Scott said.

"Jack is going to have things occur not only in his footy but in his life that he is not prepared for yet, and we just felt Andrew Swallow has the runs on the board."