PORT ADELAIDE senior coach Ken Hinkley believes the AFL’s decision to shorten quarters from 20 minutes plus time on to 16 minutes plus time on will speed up the game.

The AFL made the call with a view to playing more games in quick succession should the need arise due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

With reduced game time but the same amount of rotations and interchange players, Hinkley says it will change the way teams approach games.

“It certainly has to. It has to affect every team,” Hinkley said during a media conference on Thursday afternoon.

“You are taking around 20 per cent of game time and dealing with similar rotations and similar numbers on the bench.

“I think that will be really good for the game to be honest. I think it will create some genuine speed in the game and keep the speed there for a bit longer.”

Hinkley revealed his side was excited when arriving at Alberton Oval this morning after finding out the news the night before that the 2020 Toyota AFL Premiership Season would commence as scheduled despite the uncertainty around the Coronavirus.

And he said the side would be ready for Saturday night’s contest against the Gold Coast.

“The boys - to be fair - were quite up and about this morning,” he said.

“We had a really good session out there. They look like they’re ready to play footy. They’ve been waiting a long time.

“Obviously, the situation we face is really unusual and we are just managing that the best way we can,

“I am really confident the boys are ready to go and ready to go and play.”

The senior coach said his side has worked tirelessly over the pre-season, specifically working on using the football well heading into the forward 50.

“For us, it’s the talk about our efficiency going forward,” Hinkley said.

“That’s the stuff we have worked on over the summer. It doesn’t mean we are going to get it absolutely perfect, but our pre-season has been really strong.

“We have been really happy with what we were able to do against two really quality sides. Now we come up against a side that’s been in equally as a good a form as us, on their home deck.

“We are going to have to be really sharp with our efficiency going forward, otherwise their pressure will put us under pressure.”

Hinkley said his side had prepared well for the challenge of play the Suns on the Gold Coast, and knows it must be on for four quarters to come away with a win on the road.

“They have been outstanding,” Hinkley said of Gold Coast’s pre-season form.

“The start to their pre-season - I’m sure they would be very happy with where they are at.

“Both sides have had good form through the pre-season, which means it will be a very good game.

“The speed that they move the ball with and the speed that they hunt the opposition is a real challenge for us.

“We just need to make sure we are up for it.”

Port Adelaide’s clash with Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium on Saturday evening will be broadcast on both Fox Sports 3 and Channel 7, with the club’s 150^th anniversary documentary Onward to Victory being screened on Channel 7 after the completion of the game.