HEADING into the club’s 150th anniversary year, Port Adelaide young gun Xavier Duursma says there has been a real focus on the history at Alberton.
Port Adelaide has a rich history as the nation’s most successful top level club with 36 SANFL and one AFL premiership.
The current custodians of the club are making sure that history is being passed on to the current playing group.
“It’s been a massive focus point for us,” Duursma told Adelaide radio on Tuesday morning.
“We are taking some time out of our day to learn more about the history of the club and where we have come from to where we are now.
“It’s our 150th year and as young guys coming into the club it’s been a focus point to learn more about some of the great players and great teams.
“It’s been very interesting catching up with some of the old legends of the club, and we want to keep honouring their history and make our own.”
The 2019 Rising Star nominee said the group has had an amazing pre-season, and the club is embracing the challenge of pushing for the ultimate glory in its celebration year.
“For us to have had so many players out on the track is good,” Duursma said.
“One of the big factors in that is we have had a very, very healthy list. There have been very few players injured or in the rehab group.
“Not many teams get the chance to pretty much train with a full list for almost all of pre-season.
“That has allowed us to build some great connection. I think we are miles ahead of this time last year which will mean we will be fast-tracked.
“We are really, really confident and looking forward to the challenge that this year will bring.”
The Power led the competition for inside 50 entries last season but was unable to convert those opportunities, and Duursma said senior coach Ken Hinkley has encouraged his team to continue to take on the game this year.
“Ken is definitely an aggressive coach,” he said.
“I think we have a great coaching system at the minute where it allows us to play aggressively, and scoring is obviously how you win games.
“We have focussed quite heavily on our efficiency because last year when we went inside forward 50, we weren’t that efficient.
“We led the league for inside 50s but we weren’t efficient when we went in there. A big push for us this year is to be more efficient.”
Port Adelaide plays an under-23 trial game against Adelaide at Thebarton Oval on Saturday, before travelling to Whyalla to host the Western Bulldogs in its final fixture of the Marsh Community Series on Saturday 7 March.
