AFL players are some of the toughest guys you’ll meet, taking hit after hit from opponents who can tip over 100kg on the scales.

Impressive, absolutely, but meet Mark Mathews - a surfer who has made a career out of taking on waves that weigh over 400 tonnes.

Mathews is a big wave specialist, and the Power were invited to meet him at Red Bull Headquarters ahead of their opening NAB Challenge game in Sydney last weekend.

A celebrated surfer and winner of three consecutive Oakley Big Wave awards, Mathews spoke to the Port players on Friday about growing up with a fear of the ocean, and how he overcame it.

And after suffering multiple wipe-outs and severe injuries, he gave the players some tips about how to get in the right mentality to overcome challenges.