PORT ADELAIDE assistant coach Brett Montgomery says it will be much easier to share a resort with the Crows in the Gold Coast hub for a couple of weeks after Saturday’s big Showdown win.

Port enjoyed a record 75-point victory in Showdown 48 to remain unbeaten in 2020.

Players, coaches and staff will now pack their bags and head to the Gold Coast for the next three matches of the AFL season.

Port and the Crows will share a resort, starting this weekend.

“Kenny made reference to the fact that it was always going to be a lot easier to co-exist at the same hub and walk the same parts of the building if we had a big win,” Montgomery said at a press conference on Monday morning.

“That’s just reality – that’s like walking the streets after the Showdown. I’ve lived and breathed that.”

Travis Boak took home the Showdown Medal as best on ground in Saturday’s win but Montgomery also praised the club’s young players, especially second-year trio Zak Butters, Xavier Duursma and Connor Rozee.

“I think the club’s done an outstanding job to bring these guys in together and they’ll play a lot of footy together as a young group and it’s been an outstanding two or three years to really reinvigorate what is a pretty good list and at a time when some new energy was much needed,” the defensive coach said.

“I think those three guys from last year have done an extraordinary job. A lot gets spoken about their potential for a second-year blues-type set up but what I see from these guys, the way they prepare – it won’t be due to poor or lack of preparation if these guys don’t have another bumper year.

“They’re all the best of mates, they’ve got a really deep connection to the club already, which is really nice and with quite a few of them being from interstate, that’s really important with retention.

“They like coming to work and you can see that in the way they play.”

The only dampener from the night was defender Ryan Burton coming off with a knee complaint.

The 23-year-old will have scans on Monday to check on the injury and Montgomery said given the margin at the time and Burton’s history of knee issues, the club was taking no risk with someone he deemed “an important player”.

Looking ahead to Freo

Port Adelaide will next prepare to take on Fremantle at Metricon Stadium on Sunday.

Montgomery revealed the side will leave Adelaide on Friday, a day earlier than usual, to get used to its home for the next two weeks.

But he said, the club was more than prepared for the hub.

“When it was first put in front of us, we were realistically ready to go so to have the club and the Government come together and get a good result to have us stay another couple of weeks was a huge relief, but everyone was ready,” he said.

“I think the change in location can be positive, particularly when the group is as young as it is.

“Our challenge with these guys when we get away is to keep it as business as usual as we can. It’s not a camp-type environment, it’s a footy lifestyle, rather than an intense camp where they don’t get any outlet, they don’t get any time to themselves.

“So we will have to strike up a really nice balance while we’re away but again, bringing this group together, they’ll have no troubles whatsoever.

“When they’re not here training or playing (in Adelaide), they’re having to go home and usually spend time on their own so they’re craving a bit of that connection anyway.”

Vice-captain Ollie Wines played his first game since dislocating his shoulder in January in a trial game on Saturday against the Crows and he pulled through well, showing a willingness to attack the contest in an 18-point win.

And Montgomery said Wines’ name would be discussed at selection ahead of the Dockers’ game.

“I think we need to be really clear he’s only done the three contact sessions. It’s great he’s now had a hit-out at a high level in tough conditions, which would have tested him out,” Montgomery said.

“He had a really interrupted last year and this pre-season has been interrupted as well.

“I think what it does, these 10 weeks is, it gives him the opportunity to get back and play a whole lot of games for us.

“He’ll certainly be part of the conversations. He’s an AFL player, he’s part of our best 22, we’ve just got to get him AFL fit.”