PORT ADELAIDE midfielder Travis Boak says his body is feeling better now than it did at the start of the season, despite a series of short breaks between games.

Boak, who recently turned 32, has been one of Port’s best performers in 2020, averaging 21 touches and five clearances per game even with the shortened quarters.

The 2019 club best and fairest is happy with how he is feeling after eleven rounds and not eyeing a rest any time soon.

“My body is actually feeling better now than it did at the start of the season,” Boak said at a press conference on Wednesday.

“It’s just a challenge for everyone right now and you just have to accept it, and I think we’ve done that well as a group.

“It just means a lot more recovery, a lot more time in the ocean and the ice baths and that sort of stuff but it’s kind of an exciting challenge for our playing group and myself personally facing these challenges.

“The body seems to be holding up ok and I’m excited for what’s ahead.”

And given how well he is holding up, he has backed the AFL to include periods of compressed fixturing when it plans next year’s schedule, admitting he has been surprised how well his side has dealt with the short turnarounds.

“We’re so used to six-or-seven-day breaks and the routine of that so you don’t know what you’re body can do off the shorter turnaround,” Boak said.

“It just shows that the body can handle a lot of stuff, and the shorter breaks – as long as you manage yourself right and we’ve done that really well as a playing group and staff – that you can turn around quite quckly.

“It’s exciting for fans to have this footy frenzy during this period and having footy on every night, that’s been quite fun.

“It could be something that goes into the fixture in small parts but I don’t think you could do it all season.

“We’ve seen a lot of injuries and there’s guys resting as well so I don’t think it could last a whole season but it’s quite fun in small doses.”

Next up for Boak and his team will be third-placed Geelong, which is coming off an impressive win over St Kilda.

Port could welcome back former Cat Steven Motlop from an ankle injury and Brad Ebert from concussion.

The side will travel to the Gold Coast on Friday to play later that night and Boak said the Cats will just be another challenge in a very demanding season.

“Their leaders, for one – Sel(wood) and Dangerfield through the middle, Hawkins has been in great form up forward – but they’re just well-rounded across the whole board,” he said of what makes Geelong so good.

“We’re going to have challenges in all lines.

“They move the ball quite well, they hold the ball quite well and we’ll go through some finer detail stuff of what they want and where we can try and get them with our style but I think they’re just well-rounded and led really well by their senior players.”

As for his own form, Boak admits to hearing people mentioning his chances of winning the Brownlow Medal.

But the former captain backed Brisbane’s Lachie Neale to take out the honour.

“I don’t think anyone can catch him. I reckon he could stop now and he’s got it done,” Boak joked.

“He’s had an outstanding year, Lach, and he’s in quite rare form.

“It’s been good to see the footy he’s been playing and I don’t think anyone can catch him.

“You hear a lot of the outside noise and you can fall into it and listen to it, but the reality is that none of its true and you’ve just got to worry about what you can control.

“Whatever chat there is, good or bad, outside that is none of my business, I just go out there and play footy.”