NORTH Melbourne is certainly ready to rumble in 2011, if the club's training session at Arden Street on Wednesday is anything to go by.

Tempers flared on a number of occasions during the two-hour session, with captain Brent Harvey and veteran defender Daniel Pratt coming to blows.

Harvey and Pratt had to be separated by teammates after they tangled during some willing match practice, which was overseen by assistant coach Darren Crocker.

"Everyone's up and about and ready to go," forward Lachie Hansen said after training.

"Everyone's itching to get into the games. There's been a few little wrestles and things going on.

"Hopefully the two or three weeks go pretty quickly so we can get into the games."

North Melbourne is expected to play its first intra-club match during its community camp in Ballarat on February 8 and 9.

Ruckman Hamish McIntosh, who underwent surgery on his injured achilles tendon on Wednesday, and Nathan Grima, who recently had an operation on his back, are the only two definite non-starters.

That means the game is set to be a very intense affair.

"It's still three weeks away so I'm sure we'll have bit more match practice before then, like we had today," Hansen said.

"So we'll be raring to go by then. Everyone will be fighting for spots round one."

Nearing the end of his fifth pre-season, Hansen has been counting down the days until the NAB Cup begins.

"After every session I tick it off," he said. "I say to myself, 'I've done Monday, done Tuesday'. Then when I get through to Wednesday I know it's nearly another week done.

"We're all waiting to go 'bang’ and get into the games."