World Footy News

Only hours after touching down at Dubai International Airport, after a gruelling 13 hour flight, the Port Adelaide Power players were straight into the grind of pre-season training, putting aside any thoughts of the heat, travel lag or hotel rooms. Such is the magnitude and potential value of this pre-season initiative that newly named rookies have already joined their team mates in Dubai, barely 12 hours after joining the club.

Whilst players have since had the chance to visit the attractions and markets of Dubai, and some even getting in a bit of golf, shopping and dining, the focus of the trip has been improved stamina, resilience and fitness and that began almost immediately the players arrived in the United Arab Emirates.

According to the Port Adelaide website, their coach Ken Hinkley has used the opportunity to drill into his players the themes of grasping opportunities and giving their all for a shot at success. To that end, much of the training has revolved around running, running and more running as well as sessions to develop mental preparation. Additionally, the players have been practicing ball movement skills, defensive structures and stoppage work in the Dubai heat. Power player, Jasper Pittard admitted the 30 degree plus heat and humidity beyond fifty percent was very different to that which they experience back in Adelaide.

Ken Hinkley was mindful of a shorter pre-season after the Power made the 2013 finals, and his plan was to get the club’s High Performance Manager, Darren Burgess, to design a program that would fast track player development. Hinkley himself said that the trip “was not going to be much fun”.

Nevertheless, players have spent much of their time at the state-of-the-art Dubai Sports City and managed to experience many of the sights and sounds of Dubai. This week the team will also conduct an Auskick clinic for 120 kids from local Dubai clubs and schools as they take in the entire Dubai experience.

The Port Adelaide team will remain in Dubai, training and occasionally sightseeing, until December 4th when they will hopefully return a vastly improved physical team as a result of their Dubai experience.