CONSOLIDATION of the Power’s already strong fitness platform will be the focus of Darren Burgess and his high performance team this summer.

Port Adelaide will begin its preparations for season 2015 in earnest on Monday 17 November, when its 1-4 year playing group hits the track for a three-kilometre time trial.

Among that group will be members of the 2011, 2012 and 2013 draft classes.

They will then be joined by their elder teammates in the first week of December as the club finalises its Adelaide preparations ahead of its second training camp in Dubai.

The Power’s fitness program has earned a reputation as a benchmark of the competition.

In 2013, the Power surprised the football world with its ability come-from-behind and seize upset wins over some of the AFL’s best sides.

This year, it took its athleticism to a new, more punishing level, with its trademark late surges replaced by brutal out-of-the-blocks performances in the early season.

Its 2014 Burgess-led fitness program combined with the exciting Hinkley gameplan to propel Port Adelaide into a preliminary final against eventual premiers Hawthorn.

Now, just days out from the official start of pre-season, Burgess has told portadelaidefc.com.au he believes the club’s list still has more left in the tank for 2015.

“Ken and I spoke about a three-year plan when we came in,” starts Burgess.

“We felt it would take three years to get these guys to the level of fitness that would put them in the best position to do well.

“There’s still room to grow in the list from a physical point of view, and I look forward to seeing how that turns out.”

Welcome words for a Port Adelaide faithful desperate to back up its 2014 campaign with another strong performance.

The Power were rated as an outside chance by many commentators to even make the top eight in 2014, now they’re expected to replicate the success it eventually produced in 2015.

And while the football world knows Ken Hinkley will take the same consistent and pragmatic approach into the Power's next campaign as he has done the past two seasons, the players know they must work hard - very hard - if they're to reach another level in 2015.

There will be some modifications to the management of players and the structure of the Power’s 2015 pre-season program, but those changes will be minor.

“I don’t know that we’ll change too much, we’ll certainly alter the loads a little bit and we can certainly add a little bit more to it,” Burgess said.

“I would imagine other clubs are improving their way of doing things, so we’ve got to improve our way of doing our things as well.

“We’ll certainly be training the guys harder than we did last year, and hopefully get some pretty good results.”

The 2012 draft class – players like Ollie Wines, Tom Clurey, Mason Shaw and Sam Colquhoun – will be at full training load this pre-season.

For the 2013 group – names like Jarman Impey, Mitch Harvey, Darcy Byrne-Jones and Karl Amon – the load will be upped to a level just below that of their draft predecessors.

Once the whole group re-forms, including new draftees through the national, pre-season and rookie drafts, the football department will fly to Dubai to commence an extensive (and intensive) training camp in the emirate.

After last year’s successful camp in the Middle East, the Power will use the Dubai mini-campaign to achieve several essential objectives.

Primarily, it will serve as an opportunity to test and hone the player’s fitness and durability in an inhospitable and unfamiliar environment.

Adelaide summers are classically hot and dry, whereas Dubai is humid.

While both cities have similar average temperatures, the quality of facility available to the Power on the training camp is a significant advantage.

The humidity will also force the players’ bodies to work harder in the warmer conditions.

With a change in base for the Dubai trip, Burgess expects the playing group to rise to the occasion upon arrival at what he describes as the single best facility he’s encountered during his professional career in the AFL and international soccer.

“The boys will enjoy the change, it’s probably the best facility I’ve seen in the world and we’re really excited to take them over,” he says.

“Once they get over there this group really enjoys the work.”

The Dubai program, like the normal pre-season plan, will evolve again.

While the changes will be minimal, Burgess and his high performance team will adapt their 2013 learnings for this year’s voyage.

“We have a few more options at the new facility so [the program] evolves on the back of last year’s as well,” Burgess said.

“It was something we hadn’t done before and with that you try things.

“Overall, the whole theme of the week is hard work in an unpleasant environment and that will be the same again this time.”

The program will also serve the secondary function of integrating Port Adelaide’s new arrivals into the football department.

The likes of former Essendon ruckman Patrick Ryder and new midfield manager Michael Voss will have the opportunity to acquaint themselves with their new colleagues and teammates.

In essence, Dubai provides a comprehensive opportunity for the Port Adelaide football department to begin its new campaign in a fresh, neutral environment.

Burgess says it’s a proven method that will help the Power maintain pace with the opposition after starting three weeks behind last year’s bottom 10 teams.

“The facilities are unlike anything that I’ve experienced and it serves as an opportunity to get out of Adelaide, integrate the new players and draft picks, integrate Michael Voss into the coaching program," he says.

"And the coaches get plenty of time to talk about the game plan. 

"We train all day, but away from that environment there’s not much to do, so the coaches get the opportunity to talk tactics and the team can get to know each other.

“Ken and I felt it provided us with a really good base last time and because of our good season, we start three to four weeks behind most other teams, so we’re pretty determined to make sure they don’t get a jump on us.

“Having that intensive week gives us a good base.”

Upon returning, the playing group and coaches will take leave for Christmas before returning to the thick of it on January 2.

New Year’s celebrations will be low key, that’s for sure.

“When we get to January and February when it gets into the 40-degree range, the boys will have experienced that sort of climate given the extra humidity in Dubai and will be able to adapt to similar conditions here,” Burgess explains.

“By the time we reach our first trial game, we’re looking out for the general competitiveness of the group.

“Hopefully we’ve got a full list as well and by that stage the boys will be itching to play a game.

“You always like to see someone pop up who you didn’t really think of - a draft pick or maybe a player who didn’t have a great previous season – stick their hand up in the pre-season games.”

So it seems another tough, hard summer is in store for the Power’s playing list and portadelaidefc.com.au will be there each step of the way online, on social and on PTV to provide Port Adelaide’s supporters with its unique and unmatched insight into training at Alberton and Dubai.