THE ANZAC Round clash is one of the most significant fixtures in Port Adelaide’s season according to defender Hamish Hartlett.

Hartlett - who won the Major Peter Badcoe VC Medal in 2013 for his best afield performance against West Coast - says it’s a game the players mark in the calendar at the start of the season along with the two Showdowns.

“This is one of the games you really look forward to as a player,” Hartlett told FIVEaa’s Rowey and Bicks on Wednesday evening.

“The footy club and Adelaide Oval put on a spectacular show for the fans.

“The more people we can get out there to enjoy it the better because it really is a great night.”

The 27-year-old has been a little concerned by Port’s slow starts to begin season 2018, but believes the club can turn around its sluggish openings.

“There are always questions on whether we can prepare a little bit better just to get us really mentally switched on for the first five or 10 minutes of the game,” he said.

“We might do a bit more bumping, tackling and that physical type of stuff in the warm-up just to mentally switch on because that’s where we haven’t been so great in the last four weeks.”

Hartlett admitted that Port’s work rate and contested footy wasn’t where the club would like it to be in Sunday’s 22-point loss to the Bombers but said the review of the game was more about how the group could improve for Saturday night.

“We had a review yesterday and we are probably looking more now on what we can do to beat Geelong this weekend,” he said.

“Clearly our challenge has been the work rate and contest stuff.

“That will be our huge focus going into the game and if we can match or beat Geelong in that area, that will go a long way to winning this game and every other game for the rest of the year.”

Port Adelaide’s ANZAC Round team to face with the Cats will be named at 5.55pm (ACST) this evening

More on portadelaidefc.com.au...