HE MIGHT not have been a Port Adelaide player for very long, but Power recruit Angus Monfries says the club's overseas trip has fast-tracked his initiation into the team's inner sanctum.
Monfries crossed to Alberton in October's Gillette AFL Trade Period from Essendon, where he played 150 games since his debut in round one, 2005.
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The 25-year-old had a single pre-season training run before flying out with his new teammates to Milan on October 27, but he said the trip - which has included tours of soccer clubs AC Milan and Arsenal and a one-point victory over the Western Bulldogs in London - had gone a long way to helping him settle in.
"The boys have all been really good, this trip has helped me get to know everyone a lot quicker," Monfries told portadelaidefc.com.au.
"I've shared a room with 'Tommy' Logan [on the trip] and he's a great guy ... I haven't been a player here for very long at all really - a few training sessions and a practice game - but everyone has been welcoming.
"It's been really good to spend solid time with them all and bond a bit."
Monfries played a key role in the Power's last-minute victory over the Bulldogs at The Oval, taking several strong grabs and booting three goals.
Despite trailing by as much as 39 points in the third quarter, nine unanswered goals saw the Power hit the lead, only to fall behind again late in the final term.
Brad Ebert put the Power in front with just 40 seconds left on the clock with a clutch set shot from the boundary.
While Monfries said it was nice to hit the scoreboard and contribute to the win, the forward admitted little could be read into the result.
Port was missing several key players including captain Domenic Cassisi, full forward Jay Schluz and reigning best and fairest Kane Cornes, while the Bulldogs were without Matthew Boyd, Ryan Griffen, Adam Cooney and Robert Murphy.
"It was only an exhibition game - both sides were fairly understrength and it was more about having a run around and a bit of fun than anything else," Monfries said.
"We were just told to go out and have some fun, play on instinct.
"Given that and also it's obviously right at the beginning of pre-season, I don't think you can read much, if anything, into the result.
"But we're all competitive beasts I guess, so it was still pretty exciting to win a close one like that."
An avid cricket fan, Monfries said the tour of Lord's shortened his bucket list, while the behind-the-scenes look of AC Milan's renowned training facility "Milan Lab" was also a highlight.
"London's a great city and the tour of Lord's was amazing - I've always wanted to see the ground up close so that was pretty special," he said.
"We also had a look around AC Milan and seeing how they go about things was great.
"They're such a professional club and to see how they develop their players from such a young age - it's no real surprise they're so successful."
Harry Thring is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Harry.
