PORT Adelaidewill head to Skilled Stadium full of confidence and with a full list to choosefrom for Sunday’s clash with Geelong.
Jonathan Giles is the only name on thePower’s injury list and the club is keen to keep its young troops fresh headinginto September.
Midfielder Steve Salopek said the venueswitch to ETSA Park for Wednesday’s main trainingsession was part of a light week on the track.
“It’s been very well stated that we’ve hada solid past six weeks, so we’re really down here to focus on our skills, ourkicking and decision making,” he said.
“It’s our last fortnight before finals, soif we get a bit of a break and get our bodies right again it will definitelyhelp us through those couple of weeks.”
Salopek made his return to the Powerline-up in the win over Hawthorn after spending seven weeks recovering from abroken ankle.
With premiership players Darryl Wakelin andJosh Mahoney consigned to the SANFL and Rising Star nominee Travis Boakstarring on the wing, Salopek wasn’t sure he’d regain his spot.
“The boys got stuck into me throughout theweek, but in the back of my mind, I was hoping I could get back in,” he said.
“The coaches stuck by me, which wasfantastic and now it’s just a matter of building by fitness and getting back tohow I was playing before the injury.”
After the Power’s wretched run with injurylast season, Salopek said having so may players fit and performing was a welcomedchange.
“At this time last year I think we had fouror five key players out having surgery or they’d already had surgery. It’s justa bit of luck and it’s probably the best list we’ve had all year.”
The Power will need all hands on deck ifthey are to knock off the rampaging Cats.
Last week the Kangaroos momentarily rattledGeelong with aphysical style of play before succumbing by five goals.
Salopek said the coaching staff wouldconsider any tactic that could give the Power an edge over the ladder leaders.
“No doubt the coaches have sat down andthoroughly looked through the game and what the Kangaroos did last week,” hesaid.
“I think Choco [Mark Williams] had a chatwith Dean Laidley throughout the week to see how they went, so we’ll definitelylook into how they went about it.”
Salopek was unconcerned that his coach’spost-match comments last week would incite an even stronger performance fromthe Cats, who are going for 16 wins straight.
“Hopefully they try to get into us. It’llprobably be the closest game we get to finals football before the finalsitself,” he said.
“Last time we played them we ended upoutscoring them in the second half so if we can focus on how we played in thatsecond half and do that for four quarters, hopefully we can get a win.”
