PORT ADELAIDE Vice Captain Hamish Hartlett has described his excitement and optimism around season 2020 as his side prepares for its Round 1 clash against the Gold Coast.
The Power has been forced into some alterations to its usual preparation given the uncertainty and extra safety measures in place to counter the Coronavirus.
That included training in smaller groups and increased hygiene measures around the club.
But with the AFL confirming Round 1 would go ahead on, players are ready and raring to put their full focus into Saturday night’s season opener.
“It’s probably as excited and as optimistic as I’ve been in a couple of years in terms of the development that I feel we’ve made as a playing group over the last three or four months,” Hartlett said.
“I know that we put in a couple of pretty reasonable performances in the Marsh Cup.
“We still feel like there’s areas for us to get better in as well but you’ll see an exciting and attacking and aggressive brand of football that we’ve been working on over the summer, while defensively we’ve been really sound as well.
“We can’t wait to put it in action on Saturday night for some premiership points and I’m sure we’ll get a good result if we play the way we want to play.”
Hartlett is pleased games will go ahead for the time being, saying he and most of his teammates were on board and wanting to play.
He said it would have been disappointing to halt the momentum that the side had built in pre-season with wins over Brisbane and the Western Bulldogs.
“It (would have been) frustrating that we won’t be able to get to showcase the work we did over the summer but there’s a bigger picture we have to look at and that’s the health and safety of everyone in the community at the moment.”
Asked about how the unique preparation and lack of crowds at games will change the preparation and motivation of players, Hartlett said it remained to be seen.
“Physically our preparation doesn’t change all that much – it’s more just a mental adjustment and adaptation that we have to make as a playing group but we won’t know how much of an affect that will have til we play on Saturday night,” he explained.
“That’s the biggest challenge that every player will have to face – that is being in a headspace that allows you to be able to perform.
“Although it has been a bit of a strange week around the football club, when we stepped onto the training track it was business as usual and I assume it’ll be the same case on Saturday night.”
Port Adelaide faces Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium on Saturday evening, with coverage of the game beginning from 6.30pm ACDT on Fox Sports 3 and 6.50pm ACDT on Channel 7.
A screening of the club’s 150th anniversary documentary Onward to Victory will be aired on Channel 7 at the completion of its clash with the Suns.
