Recruit Brad Ebert has been credited with raising Port Adelaide’s standards as they set about casting off their AFL easybeat tag.
Former West Coast midfielder Ebert will make his premiership debut for the Power against St Kilda on Sunday, having already won the respect of his new teammates.
The 21-year-old Ebert will be joined by ex-Collingwood utility John McCarthy in Port colours for Sunday’s twilight fixture.
Key forward Jay Schulz said Ebert, a 76-gamer with the Eagles, had lifted Port’s intensity with his ‘train-aholic’ tendencies.
“Brad has been absolutely sensational from day one. He trains with an intensity that some guys really struggle to,” Schulz said on Thursday.
“He is one of those guys that goes flat out and drags five or six others along who haven’t trained like that before.
“He has lifted our training standards and I have no doubt he has improved other guys’ games by trying to keep up with him.”
Schulz was adamant there would be no repeat of last season, when Port won just three games amid a debt-crisis which caused the AFL to provide a $3 million bail-out just to remain in the league.
“We don’t want to go through another year like we had last year and we don’t think we will,” Schulz said.
“We think we’re a competitive mob.
“If we can stick to our structure and compete at the ball for longer periods in games, which we weren’t able to do last year, we’ll be a chance to be in every game.
“That is our main focus this year, competitiveness over four quarters.”
Schulz said the likes of number five draft pick Chad Wingard would help their cause.
“The way he’s been playing would suggest he’s ready to go,” he said.
“He’s an extremely talented kid, the world is his oyster.
“But at the same time, he’s still a kid. He’s only 18 and we’ll nurse him through, but at this stage it doesn’t like he’ll need any nursing.”