Tasting success in this year's NAB Cup would give the Kangaroos a huge springboard into their 2007 campaign, according to Drew Petrie.

After holding off a fast-finishing Fremantle in Sunday's quarter-final at Telstra Dome, the Kangaroos are poised for their first pre-season premiership since 1998 - if they can overcome Carlton in this week's semi-final at Carrara Stadium.

"[Even though it is] the pre-season competition, it would still be great to stand up on that dais and hold the NAB Cup up," Petrie said at Port Melbourne on Monday before the Roos' recovery session.

'That would hold a lot of good confidence for our team, which over the last five or six years we haven't had too much success."

"We've only played in two finals games in the last six years. So albeit the NAB Cup, we'd love to win it, absolutely."

Petrie said the Roos were now just starting to reap the benefits of an early start to pre-season training - which began in October last year - and would continue into the season proper.

"Definitely. Our fitness is a lot better. It's been widely said that we started back on the 16th of October so that's providing us with the extra run we need in the second half of games this year," he said.

The Kangaroos led by 31 points midway through the third quarter against Fremantle, before withstanding a strong challenge from the Dockers for a nine-point victory.

"We had the chance to put it away a bit earlier than we did and Fremantle were good enough to come back in time on in each quarter … but that was a really good win for the club and a positive step for the club," Petrie said.

"We have a new game plan as you can all see - moving the footy a lot quicker and that's the way we play good footy."