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THE HEAT is on at Port Adelaide with the club’s playing group assembling for its first pre-season training session in the North Adelaide parklands on Monday.
It was a baptism of fire for the players under the tutelage of new high performance manager Darren Burgess.
[ Related: Hinkley applies the heat ]
Burgess, the former fitness guru of the Socceroos and Liverpool Football Club, took the player’s for their first ‘Australian’ fitness session having returned from a European training trip last week.
As expected, Burgess put the players to the task immediately with a three-kilometre time trial the first item on the menu for the Power.
It looked tough.
And it was, with many players visibly straining to push out their best time.
Four-time John Cahill Medallist Kane Cornes topped the sheets in the opening test around Warnpangga Park.
The veteran midfielder remains one of the elite runners of the AFL competition despite him turning 30 in January next year.
His continual displays of freakish endurance have seen him feature amongst the Power’s best runners throughout his career at Alberton and Monday’s return to training was no different.
[ See: Day 1 photo gallery ]
Finishing with a time of 9 minutes 46 seconds, Cornes led home youngster Cameron O’Shea (10:01) and Brad Ebert (10:19).
Burgess told portadelaidefc.com.au that the time trial serves as an effective initiation to his pre-season program, but further timed tests would be used sparingly throughout the summer.
“Probably a six,” Burgess said when asked to rate the intensity of his first session.
“But it’s early days yet.
“We’ll certainly do it again at some point during the pre-season, I’m not sure what point that is but we’ll definitely do it again.”
Burgess said he was pleased with the playing group’s approach to his fitness program and says it sets a solid foundation for the next three months on the track.
“It went well [the fitness session], although it’s just day one of a thousand!
“But the boys are certainly enthusiastic.”
Finishing with a time of 9 minutes 46 seconds, Cornes led home youngster Cameron O’Shea (10:01) and Brad Ebert (10:19).
Burgess told portadelaidefc.com.au that the time trial serves as an effective initiation to his pre-season program, but further timed tests would be used sparingly throughout the summer.
“Probably a six,” Burgess said when asked to rate the intensity of his first session.
“But it’s early days yet.
“We’ll certainly do it again at some point during the pre-season, I’m not sure what point that is but we’ll definitely do it again.”
Burgess said he was pleased with the playing group’s approach to his fitness program and says it sets a solid foundation for the next three months on the track.
“It went well [the fitness session], although it’s just day one of a thousand!
“But the boys are certainly enthusiastic.”
