RYAN Griffen is aiming to play in a Western Bulldogs intra-club match next week to provide him with the necessary hit-out to be right for round one.
 
Griffen is yet to play in a pre-season game after suffering back problems in the past month but he is confident that he will be right in time for the club's season opener against the Eagles at Patersons Stadium on March 23.

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However, he will not be available to play in the practice match at Visy Park against Carlton this Friday.
 
"It's more a niggle than an injury at the moment. I'm just taking a cautious approach to it. I still have three weeks until round one so I am very confident I will be fully fit," Griffen told AFL.com.au
 
While the back issue is still inhibiting him, his coach Brendan McCartney indicated last week after the NAB Challenge game against Fremantle that Griffen would be fine once the tightness goes.
 
The coach also said he wasn't going to focus on one or two players and would be picking a fit team for round one.
 
Griffen will enter his first year as captain of the Bulldogs in 2014 after a sensational season 2013 that saw him claim his second best and fairest award, All Australian honours and 14 Brownlow votes.

An unassuming star, Griffen put his consistent form down to the support of his teammates.

"It was more the team that made me play the way I did," Griffen said.
 
Although he did concede a full preseason and an increase in work rate helped too, as well as the form of All Australian ruckman Will Minson.
 
"Will Minson had a stellar year and he was delivering it to me on a platter if you ask him," Griffen said, with a smile and notable dig at the big man.
 
The Bulldogs impressed in the NAB Challenge and Griffen said, despite some lapses in games, he was as excited as everyone else about the young players coming through for the team.
 
"Sitting on the sidelines watching Jackson Macrae and these guys develop…I think they're ready to take their game to a new level and it is exciting for the footy club," Griffen said.