PORT ADELAIDE’s players have been tested physically and mentally this week – the final training week for 2021.

In the third week of pre-season training, the club’s coaches and high-performance team created a “camp week” where players spent longer at the club each day, backing up for two or three sessions at times.

Head of High Performance Stuart Graham said there was also a chance to have some fun, build the connection within the group and educate players on the game plan.

“Camp week really sets up our year in terms of it being a concentrated schedule,” he explained.

“It’s not just about the physical load but it’s a good opportunity for the coaching group to embed all the education around our game model, and then to be able to have some connection pieces and team activity together and have access to the guys for a bigger proportion of the week.”

Where previously players might have gone away to the Sunshine Coast, Dubai or even just Victor Harbor for a camp, the global pandemic meant Alberton was the base for much of the week.

But it did not mean players were tied to the club, with sessions at external gyms and the beach pushing players to their limits.

“Within Covid restrictions we’ve tried to get to as many different venues as possible,” Graham said.

“The guys have been cooped up at the club as have many, but to get out into new training environments with new training stimulus as well is an important and big part of this week.

“In and around our training we’ve been able to fit in some power endurance and different upper body cross training sessions at different venues.

“We went to Body Fit Gym on Tuesday and then to ONE TWO Boxing on Wednesday.

“We also had a nice beach combat session on Wednesday which was hard work. Again, it is about different stimulus different stresses for the group involved.”

Players also had some fun with a paint ball session at Kuitpo Forest, although the competitive juices were flowing.

Graham said it was pleasing to see how well players endured the testing week, which would set the group up to hit the ground running in the new year.

“They’ve been challenged physically, particularly early in the week,” he said.

“We front loaded the week with a lot of running and they absolutely handled it beautifully. They kept backing up and have shown a real appetite for training.

“Pre-Christmas it’s super important. It sets a real foundation and gives us a chance to get straight into footy, we feel a competitive advantage, to get into football intensity right from the get-go after January.

“We’ve been able to get into some of that already but it really sets us up with this pre-Christmas block.”

Players will now have three weeks off over the festive period, returning in the second week of January.