DARREN BURGESS has put the Port Adelaide players through a challenging return to the track at the beginning of January.

The players trained individually over their two-week sabbatical while spending Christmas and the New Year with their families.

Burgess said there was no drop in expectations over the break and the players had “nowhere to hide” from the Power fitness team thanks to GPS tracking and monitoring equipment.

“With a young group you need to take them out of their comfort zone a bit and that’s all that we’re doing,” said Burgess.

“Every session was monitored from each player over the break so we knew if anybody wasn’t doing it, or wasn’t doing it well enough.

“Not only do we know what they did but we know exactly where they did it!”

The Power has employed a new tackling coach and tested the players with a range of new drills and exercises since returning to the track on January 3.

Burgess wants to develop a “resilient” team for the 2013 season and has worked closely with senior coach Ken Hinkley to create a fitness program capable of delivering a durable playing group.

Despite training through the gruelling Adelaide heat over the past week Burgess has been pleased with the attitude of the Power side since returning for 2013.

“The group as a whole - being such a young group - their enthusiasm and commitment is first class.”

“None of them lost any fitness over the break and in fact their 3k times were better than what they left the club with in November when we last tested them.”