Power Pride
Team Captain
Port still brimming with confidence: Cornes
9:22:48 AM Thu 13 March, 2003
Port Adelaide's long injury list and winless pre-season would not shake the team's confidence or ability to start the home and away season in top form, key forward Chad Cornes said.
The Power has 13 players on its injury list, with first-choice players Damien Hardwick (hamstring), Roger James (groin), Jarrad Schofield (hamstring) and Warren Tredrea (knee) all in doubt for round one.
In addition, the Power has followed its loss to Adelaide in the opening round of the Wizard Cup with heavy losses in practice matches against the Western Bulldogs and Fremantle in the past two weeks.
But Cornes said even if Port lost its final practice match against Carlton at AAMI Stadium on Friday night, it would still enter the home and away season with confidence.
"There's still a good feeling around the club," he said.
"We know we haven't had our full team out there and we've still been experimenting and trying some of the younger guys, so come round one we should have most of our players back and from then on it will be flat out.
"Obviously we're after a win, but the main thing this week is there's probably 10 or so guys pushing for a spot for round one."
He said pre-season was also a better time to have a long injury list than during the season.
"Being this time of year it hasn't been a major loss, it is still practice games, so hopefully by round one we will have all the senior guys back, which will make a huge difference."
9:22:48 AM Thu 13 March, 2003
Port Adelaide's long injury list and winless pre-season would not shake the team's confidence or ability to start the home and away season in top form, key forward Chad Cornes said.
The Power has 13 players on its injury list, with first-choice players Damien Hardwick (hamstring), Roger James (groin), Jarrad Schofield (hamstring) and Warren Tredrea (knee) all in doubt for round one.
In addition, the Power has followed its loss to Adelaide in the opening round of the Wizard Cup with heavy losses in practice matches against the Western Bulldogs and Fremantle in the past two weeks.
But Cornes said even if Port lost its final practice match against Carlton at AAMI Stadium on Friday night, it would still enter the home and away season with confidence.
"There's still a good feeling around the club," he said.
"We know we haven't had our full team out there and we've still been experimenting and trying some of the younger guys, so come round one we should have most of our players back and from then on it will be flat out.
"Obviously we're after a win, but the main thing this week is there's probably 10 or so guys pushing for a spot for round one."
He said pre-season was also a better time to have a long injury list than during the season.
"Being this time of year it hasn't been a major loss, it is still practice games, so hopefully by round one we will have all the senior guys back, which will make a huge difference."
