PORT ADELAIDE defender Hamish Hartlett is eyeing a return to full training before Christmas, after having a knee tidy-up at the end of the 2019 season.

Hartlett has returned to running, and the 29-year-old says it’s great to have the full squad back at Alberton for pre-season training.

“I had a knee operation at the end of last season,” Hartlett told SEN SAs Breakfast program on Wednesday morning.

“I am on the comeback from that, so I’ve just started running over the last couple of weeks.

“Pre-season number 12, so I’ve been here a few times before. It’s been good to be back so far.”

The rebounding defender - who was drafted in 2008 - said the balance of running and ball skills in pre-season training has definitely shifted over the years.

“Every main session on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday is a combination of both,” Hartlett said.

“We find a lot of our running numbers - particularly the distance stuff - will come through the drills we do.

“If we ever need some top-up stuff - high speed or the real sprinting type efforts - we can always do that at the end of the session.”

Hartlett said a high percentage of the running for players now came from football drills.

“75 to 80 per cent of our running comes from within the drills we do,” he said.

“The drills we are doing are game-based drills to adapt us to running the right patterns. For the high half-forwards and the half-backs and the mids getting from contest to contest.

“The stuff we are doing is game scenario based. There is an element of having to kick as many footys as possible and get your hands on the football as much as possible.”

Despite Hartlett only being back for a short period, he has been impressed with the physiques of a number of players returning from their off-season holidays, in particular, second-year player - Zak Butters.

“We are only two days in, so I can only really go on what I’ve seen on the Monday,” he said.

“Zak Butters has come back in great condition physically. His running has been unbelievable. He had a shoulder operation at the end of the season, so in terms of his contact and ball work, that will be limited.

“The other two - in terms of the running numbers and how well they are moving on the track - are Sam Powell-Pepper and Cam Sutcliffe who have come back in great nick.

“I will have to keep an eye on it over the next couple of weeks to see who is really standing out in terms of ball type stuff.

“Certainly, those three guys are physically in great condition at the moment.”