Port Adelaide duo Robbie Gray, Jack Watts return to pre-season training early as veterans look to build towards 2020 campaign
Jack Watts’ 2019 campaign ended in Round 2 when he broke his leg and dislocated his ankle. But he has cut short his pre-season break to train with Port’s youngsters and build towards 2020.
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Power star Robbie Gray says Jack Watts is feeling strong in his return from a serious leg injury and has come back early from his off-season break to build towards round one.
Gray and Watts cut short their time off and joined Port Adelaide’s youngsters in the club’s first training session since the 2019 campaign ended with a win against Fremantle in August.
Although they were mostly away from the main group, running laps, it marked a big step on the comeback trail for Watts, who broke his leg and dislocated his ankle in the Power’s victory over Carlton in March.
Gray told SEN SA on Tuesday that the former Melbourne forward was in great shape.
“I had a good chat to him yesterday and he’s feeling really good, really strong, so he feels pretty much good to go,” Gray said.
“He’s been doing all the running as per the program that the rest of the group have been doing.
“It’ll be really good for him to get four months of solid pre-season under his belt.
“Obviously it was a really serious injury that he’s gone through so it’ll be a really important block for him, no doubt, over summer.
“He has had a good break and is really keen to continue on … the thing he begun with at the start of the season because he had a great pre-season in the practice games and started the year pretty well.”
Gray’s off-season was spent in Adelaide after his wife, Annabel, gave birth to their second child, daughter Clementine.
He trained by himself locally, so said it was good to get back training with his teammates.
“I slowly build up to Christmas and I manage my knee a little bit,” he said.
“I shouldn’t be too far out of main training, probably start of December I’ll start doing that and then just build up.
“I probably won’t complete as much as some guys but I’ll complete a fair chunk and be ready for the start of the season.”
Port’s full squad returns to training on November 18 and one player who will not be there is Sam Gray.
He has signed with Sydney after the Power axed him last week.
Robbie Gray nominated Kane Farrell, Tobin Cox and Brad Ebert, who was restricted to 11 games due to concussion and leg issues, as likely replacements for his namesake in the forward line.