PORT Adelaide star Angus Monfries is laughing off banter from rivals Adelaide, after the Crows took to Twitter to highlight the irony of leaving hotter weather at home for international heat training.

The Power flew out of Adelaide for Dubai on November 17 to train in hot conditions at the renowned Dubai Sports City and are due back on Wednesday night.

The Crows made the most of soaring local temperatures last week and poked fun at the club on Twitter.

Monfries told AFL.com.au there was more to the club's stay in the Middle East than pure performance training and that the camp had kick-started its 2014 campaign.

"The training was one factor, but it was as important that we got to train at this facility and get away as a group internationally," Monfries said.

"It definitely helps to get out of the country and be around each other for a long period of time.

"That was the aim and just to get together with the whole team and bond on a different level.

"By the end of the camp I think we'll definitely come back fitter and more prepared than when we left."

The 26-year-old goalkicker was amazed by the multi-billion dollar, 50 million square foot facility that is Dubai Sports City.

He quickly added that the side hadn't had much time to really enjoy it, with coach Ken Hinkley and high performance manager Darren Burgess pushing the players to their limits every day.

While the facility was undoubtedly state of the art, Monfries said their training had been largely traditional, albeit exhausting.

"We're doing tough sessions – running and skills, similar stuff to what we'd be doing back home, it's pretty gruelling though," he said.

"Everyone's getting through it, but it's hard.

"We definitely want to be in the same position that we were at the end of this year and we're under no illusions that we've got to keep working harder to be there."
Monfries said it had also been hard work resisting the urge to trim his moustache during the camp.

As a patron for Cure for CF, a foundation aiming to find the cure for cystic fibrosis, the usually clean-shaven forward sported the 'mo' and raised $640 during November.

"[I'm] just trying to raise a bit of awareness for it and hopefully a bit of money to add to their funding for the research," he said.

"Adelaide's got one of the best resourced facilities in the world, so it's good to know the support can really make a difference."

Twitter: @AFL_Harry