Port Adelaide forward Ollie Lord says he wants 2025 to be his year. 

The 23-year-old is keen to play more AFL football, claiming he can hold himself against some of the league’s bigger bodies after putting on some muscle and training hard throughout the pre-season. 

Speaking at the club’s AFL Community Camp at Angaston Primary School, Lord spoke on his pre-season so far, how he sees his role, and how the new recruits are faring. 

Lord on AFL Community Camp 
“We're lucky enough to come out and visit a few schools here in the Barossa. Of course, we've got Gather Round coming up in just over a month and a little bit. So it's been really great to come mingle with a couple of the kids and get a couple of the boys out of the club, and just been kind of speaking on the broader terms of footy stuff, lifestyle, healthy eating, some sleep requirements. So it's been really nice to come out (here). We don't do this often, so when we do, I think everyone just takes a real positive out of it. It's been really fun.” 

Lord on pre-season 
“I feel like it's been another challenging pre-season, like all of them. This is my fifth now, and I definitely feel like this has been the hardest. And I feel like this is the pre-season that the group and myself have made the most gains. We're in an incredible position. We're all fitter. We're smashing our PBs in the gym. So I feel like the schedule has been the same, but everyone's coming with an even bigger buy-in to get more out of the season. So I think it's really positive signs, and I'm just looking forward for the games to start to be honest.” 

Lord on his own preparation 
“Yeah, I feel like off the back of last season, I just wanted to come in and obviously just get stronger and fitter as a whole, in the gym and running. So I've had a big dedication to my off field program in the off-season, and I feel like I stuck to that and did more by myself and with a couple other small groups when I was at home, and that kind of led me into the pre-season. I feel like I have put on a little bit of muscle. I'm not the strongest person out there, but I'm also feeling like I can hold my weight against some of the bigger bodies, like a Aliir and Zerk and Sav out at training. So I feel like it'll hold me in good stead being a couple kilos heavier.” 

Lord on how he sees his role 
“I feel like, especially with our acquisitions of a couple of the new guys, like Jack (Lukosius) and Joe (Richards) and even Joe Berry as well, our forward line is definitely going to look a little bit different, and obviously without Charlie (Dixon) there and the sad news with Todd (Marshall) going down and missing most of the season. So it's definitely going to be a new look forward line and I feel like the thing that I do to stand out is my predictability in the contest and my reliability in that sense. Not that the other boys don't, but I feel like we all bring different strengths, and I feel like kind of that strength in the contest is mine, which is nice.” 

Lord on his own goals for 2025 
“I want to make this season mine. And obviously, with Toddy going out, I feel like there's a role for me to play in the season. I feel like my time’s now. I want to contribute to the club. Feel like I'm ready, physical and mentally. I've been here five years now. I know what it takes to play, I’ve had a pretty good taste with 20-odd games, so I'm looking forward to putting my best foot forward and doing the best for the team and really cementing myself as an AFL player.” 

Lord on the new recruits 
“They've all got a very high level of dedication. Even Joe Berry, this is his first pre-season, but the way he holds himself on and off the field is actually, I was quite surprised as an 18 year old coming from local football, but Joe (Richards) and Luko (Jack Lukosius), they're the exact same, they come from really strong football backgrounds with the Gold Coast and Collingwood, so it's been a joy to train with them, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with the games coming up, because they're good players, and I feel like we're really lucky to have them in our club.”