NEW Port Adelaide recruit Orazio Fantasia has spoken of his confidence he would secure his trade to the club, even when his future came down to the last six minutes of the trade period.

A deal to bring Fantasia and pick 73 to Alberton was finally secured just before the trade deadline on Wednesday night with Essendon receiving Port’s pick 29 and a future third-round selection.

Fantasia spent the morning running with some of his new teammates followed by a gym session at Alberton, and he described the trade going through as a “big relief”.

But he explained, he was sure he would get the move he was after, following conversations with Port’s list manager Jason Cripps, General Manager – Football, Chris Davies and coach Ken Hinkley.

“From the get go, Port guaranteed we were going to get it done,” he said during his first press conference in Power colours.

“They said ‘mate, once you’ve committed here, we’ll get it done for you’ so that instilled me with the confidence and the trust that they could get it done but towards the end I was getting nervous, but we got it done.

“Dad loves his footy and was watching all the footage asking when it’s going to get done, so I was just trying to calm him down.

“It’s a big relief, a bit of the weight off the shoulders. I’m pretty pumped to be back.”

While he grew up supporting the Crows, once deciding he wanted to return to his home in Adelaide, Fantasia was sure that Port Adelaide was the right club for him.

“Port was the preference from the get-go,” he explained.

“There’s a good young crew here and what they’re building towards, I definitely want to be a part of that and I think I can add some value to where we’re going.

“I had some close connections with Tommy (Jonas) and Bass (Nathan Bassett) who was my coach for a long time so it’ll be nice to connect with him.

“And the big thing was coming back to Adelaide and being with my family. I feel like being closer to them will help me mentally more than being in Melbourne.

“I already feel refreshed and feel like I’m training better. This is my happy place.”

Fantasia played junior football with the younger brother of Port captain Tom Jonas and the pair have remained close, continuing to catch up for a hit of golf even while as AFL opponents.

His connection with Port’s forwards coach Nathan Bassett goes back much further, and he said he owed a lot to Bassett in life and in football.

“When I first met Bass, I would have been 12 or 13 at Norwood so I’ve known him for more than half my life. I can lean on him for whatever, I can shoot him a text or give him a ring and he’s always there,” Fantasia explained.

“He’s always pushed me to continue to work hard. I probably wasn’t the most talented or the strongest or the fastest or whatever when I was growing up but he always instilled that work ethic in me to work harder and I would get where I want to get to.

“He was at Essendon when I got there and I still feel like he was a big part of me getting to Essendon so I feel like I wouldn’t be in the AFL without him.

“He showed a lot of confidence in me and probably showed everyone else to pick this kid, he’s got something about him and can play the game.”

Fantasia has built friendships with Zak Butters and Charlie Dixon after they found themselves training together at Unley Oval during the AFL’s COVID-19 layoff period but he is eager to meet the rest of the playing group and earn their respect.

Fantasia’s body has let him down in recent years, restricting him to just five games in 2020.

The 25-year-old said his body feels good and he is confident he will get back to his best football in 2021.

“My body is really good,” he said.

“When I am stressed, that’s when I push harder and get those little soft tissues or niggles so being home, I think will relieve that.

“There’s a direct correlation I feel with how I feel mentally and how my body is feeling, with being smarter with the training I’m doing.

“I’m in a really good position where I haven’t had any surgery. It’s probably the first time in four or five years where I haven’t had any surgery or anything like that so I can actually have a full pre-season.

“As soon as I met with all the medical staff here, I could tell they’re all on the same page and I think their injury rate is number one in the league at the moment so that’s played a big part for me.”

As for his footy-loving family, he is confident his parents will happily switch allegiances and don the Port Adelaide colours from now on.

“They love their footy and I’m sure they’ll be at every game screaming their head off – you’ll hear them.”