PORT Adelaide is in a better headspace heading into a finals campaign this season than it was last year, says defender Matthew Broadbent.
The Power scraped into the top eight last season before stunning Collingwood at the MCG in an elimination final and pushing Geelong to the brink in the semi.
In 2014, the club has shown last year's finals run was no fluke by winning its way to the top of the ladder, before a form slump saw it fall to fifth.
A top-four berth remains possible, but the Power would have to leapfrog Fremantle, which sits a game clear in fourth spot. The two teams face each other in a potentially decisive round 23 encounter at Patersons Stadium.
Regardless of whether Broadbent and his teammates enter the finals campaign with a double chance, he said the group felt better prepared this time around.
"Last year everything was a bit new to us – most of the group hadn't really played too many finals so we've got that experience under our belt which will help," Broadbent said.
"We're certainly better placed this year finishing a bit higher on the ladder."
Port will take on Carlton on Friday night at Adelaide Oval in what will be Broadbent's 100th game.
The 24-year-old has cemented his place as the Power's primary rebounding man over the past few seasons, but Broadbent didn't agree that he'd taken his game to new heights.
He's ranked second in the League for running bounces and first at Port for rebound 50s in 2014.
Instead, Broadbent believed he'd simply believed he had developed the consistency required at the elite level.
The defender was put through a different challenge on Tuesday morning when the playing group took part in the ice bucket challenge, raising awareness for motor neurone disease.
The disease hits close to home at Alberton, with vice-captain Brad Ebert's grandmother suffering from the condition.
Coach Ken Hinkley started the ice "waterfall", pouring a bucket of iced water over captain Travis Boak, who poured one over Kane Cornes with Ebert the last player to be drenched.
