Port Adelaide's high-performance manager Stuart Graham says the club is in a "good position" heading into the 2025 season, but has flagged two areas of focus during the summer training months.
The modern game style requires players to run at top speeds for longer, given the ping-pong nature of turning defence into attack with gusto.
Implemented by Graham and his performance team, Port Adelaide has opted to pivot towards improving the players' anaerobic output and upper body strength.
"Yeah, just building on, so they were already at a strong level, but our ability to repeat speed," Graham said.
"We've brought in some new testing to test that, and we've also targeted our gym, particularly our upper body strength, which we've wanted to make some changes in there, and both have improved."
Graham explained why repeat sprints and upper body strength have been a pre-season training focal point.
"Our focus areas around particularly our running patterns and the conditioning I provide is to support that program," he continued.
"So what we are really chasing is greater speed output from our group in the style we play, particularly in defence, and we're chasing that hard.
"It's making them faster, and making their ability to repeat intensity better, and be more resilient."
Complementing the Alberton club's training focus has been the inclusion of new faces to the mix.
Jack Lukosius heads a group of nine that walked into the Power for the first time late last year.
Port Adelaide also welcomed small forwards Joe Berry and Joe Richards, as well as mobile utility Jack Whitlock, while former Sun and Crow Rory Atkins has impressed from day dot.
"They've come in ready to adjust to our style of running and program," Graham said.
"Both Rory and Jack have come from a really strong program, physical performance program, and they've settled right in.
"And then Joe Richards, as an athlete, he's really strong, and so he's fitted in really easily to our methods of training.
"All three of them (Berry, Whitlock, Moraes) have got their strengths and have brought those to the table from day one, and they have expectations to play round one, as they should, and they're going for it. So that's the attitude you want."
Graham also provided an update on the injured players at the club, with the devastating Todd Marshall Achilles injury - could rule him out for the entire 2025 season - compounding a number of off-season concerns.
"Finishing deeper (into finals) last year, we accumulated some guys that were managing little niggles through the year," Graham said.
"So I'm referencing probably Burto (Ryan Burton), Bergman, Boak and Drew in particular... we've got to take our time to make sure that they're arriving at the start line feeling good and still have preparation to perform."
The Power performance manager said that Sam Powell-Pepper (ACL) and Kane Farrell (hamstring) have very few boxes left to tick off, with Round 1 on the cards for the pair.
Ruck duo Ivan Soldo and Dante Visentini are also on the mend from respective knee injuries but have longer recovery periods, with the club hoping they reintegrate into training over the next fortnight.