This story originally appeared on afl.com.au. 

PORT Adelaide hard nut Brad Ebert has returned to full training after off-season shoulder surgery and should be ready for the JLT Community Series.

Ebert went under the knife after the Power lost to West Coast in last September's epic extra-time elimination final at Adelaide Oval.

The 27-year-old has completed his rehabilitation alongside marquee recruit Tom Rockliff, who also had a shoulder operation at around the same time.

"It's all back into pretty much full training now," Ebert told reporters on Tuesday.

"At the end of each season, there's always players that have certain things and me and Tom Rockliff actually had our surgeries a day apart, so we've been going through together in our rehab program.

"Now it's getting close to games, we're ready to go anyway.

"It's always the way, you sort of time it well."

Ebert had an outstanding season for the Power last year, averaging a career-high 24.7 possessions and 7.7 tackles per game.

He also finished fifth in the Power's club champion award.

It's a new-look Power side this year, with a massive 11 changes to the club's list. The most notable additions are Rockliff, ex-Geelong speedster Steven Motlop and former No.1 overall draft pick Jack Watts.

External expectations are high on the Power to perform, but Ebert said that didn't faze the players.

"We will deal with that OK as the season goes on," Ebert said.

"At the moment, it's just about getting ourselves ready for games and then that will all take care of itself.

"We're not beating ourselves up and saying that we're going to be the best, we're not saying that we're not expecting anything.

"We're really just, at the moment, making sure we're in the best possible position to get some success and perform."

Ebert said topping up the squad with several experienced hands had raised intensity during training.

"A lot of the young guys are really training well knowing that positions are going to be hotly contested," Ebert said.

"That's the same that goes for guys like myself who have been around for a fair while now. "What they bring is plenty of experience and understanding of the game and I think they'll bring another dimension to our team."

A group of Power players, including Ebert and Trengove, changed tack on Tuesday when they jumped aboard some of the fastest sailing machines seen in Australia as part of the Super Foiler Grand Prix series, which starts in Adelaide on Friday.

More on portadelaidefc.com.au...