PORT Adelaide hopes its eight-day training camp in Dubai will see its players hit a level of fitness identified just over two years ago, just as their resurgence was about to begin.
The Power's players departed for the camp on Friday night with the promise that their experience in the Middle East would be even tougher than it was last year.
When appointed coach in late 2012, Ken Hinkley, in conjunction with the club's fitness team led by high performance manager Darren Burgess, laid out a three-year fitness goal for the playing group.
Entering the final year of that plan after a preliminary final exit in 2014, Hinkley said the camp in Dubai would help his players make that final leap.
"It has to be harder, we need to improve and push a bit harder again and try to step up in our conditioning," Hinkley said.
"I've got absolute trust in 'Burgo' (Burgess) and his team that we know where we're trying to get to with the boys.
"We had a three-year plan that we were gong to step up each year, and this is their third year, so hopefully they've got that one more little step in them."
Upon landing in Dubai, the players will drop their bags and immediately begin a running session.
But the eight-day camp will involve much more than pounding the pavement; Burgess said the Nad Al Sheba facility at which Port will train was elite.
"The grass and ground surface is as good as anything you've ever seen, the running track is IAAF standard, the swimming pool is outstanding, the cryo chamber, the underwater treadmills…the gym is 1500 square metres," Burgess said.
"Everything you could possibly want.
"We think they're ready now to go to the next level, we think this is the final step in the progression."
