So says senior defender and leadership group member, Jackson Trengove.
Speaking to Adelaide radio station FIVEaa, Trengove was asked to reflect on a pre-season that has whipped up a buzz around the Port playing group.
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“It’s been a massive change, we’re training a lot more; harder,” Trengove told FIVEaa.
“Pre-season doesn’t stop until just before round one so we’re getting a fair bit of running into our legs during the week and come (the) game on the weekend we’ve got to perform there too.”
Trengove says the playing group has pushed itself during the pre-season with a view to repairing the team’s standing on the field this year.
The ‘pushing’ has been administered by the club’s fitness guru Darren Burgess.
“As a whole I think that people (in the team) have really started to click and really realised what it takes to play AFL footy, everyone's got their bodies in shape,” said Trengove.
The high profile head of high performance at the club has raised the bar in the pre-season and Trengove believes the high intensity sessions on the track will deliver a fit and firing team in 2013.
With only eight names on the injury list - six of whom are set to return before round one - the new era at Port Adelaide is getting off to a strong start.
“I think he’s (Burgess) made a massive difference,” said Trengove.
“(As) soon as he walked in the door he meant business and the boys hadn’t been able to get away with some of the little things they may have in the past.
“He’s trying to simulate what we try to do out on the park: it’s short, sharp and plenty of it.”
Port Adelaide plays West Coast in Alice Springs on Saturday, and Trengove sees it as a great opportunity to test the side against one of the early premiership favourites.
With one of the most experienced sides Port has offered up this pre-season, the team will be looking to solidify its game plan ahead of the season proper which starts just three weeks after.
“I think every footballer just wants the season to start,” he said.
“We rate West Coast very highly, if not one of the highest teams in the competition.”
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