Port Adelaide captain Tom Jonas says AFL players will only need two weeks to finetune their skills when competition resumes

Port Adelaide captain Tom Jonas says players will only need two weeks to prepare for games when the AFL season gets the green light to resume.

Tom Jonas says players will only need two weeks to get back to match sharpness. Picture: AAP Image/Michael Dodge

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Port Adelaide captain Tom Jonas says players will only need two weeks to prepare for games when the AFL season gets the green light to resume.

Jonas and the rest of the AFL playing stocks have to keep the base fitness they worked up through pre-season by training on their own – or with one other person max – because of the suspension of the 2020 season amid COVID-19 concerns.

It has been suggested that when footy returns – whether it is the AFL’s end of May planned time frame, or even later – the players will need around a month of a new “pre-season” to get back to match sharpness.

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Port Adelaide captain Tom Jonas, Connor Rozee and Hamish Hartlett unveiled the club’s new sponsor, MG, ahead of the 2020 season. Picture: Sarah Reed

Jonas believed the players didn’t need that long for a tune-up.

“I think they are planning on about a month, but personally I think a fortnight would be plenty,” he said on ABC Grandstand.

“We are already all over the game plan, we have a strong fitness base, it will just be about getting the right amount of high-speed running, change of direction and ball work in to limit the amount of injuries that occur.

“I think people will be pretty keen to jump back in, so I think a fortnight’s enough.”

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Jonas said for many players the amount of free time they had was resulting in more fitness work.

“Probably because of the amount of time we have, you kill time by doing an extra workout; it looks a lot like our off-season program,” he said.

“You are meant to do something (aerobic) Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

“But a lot of the boys are doing more because of the time that we have (spare).”

Tom Jonas at training earlier in the year, before coronavirus shut down the AFL. Picture: Sarah Reed

Jonas was also in favour of a shorter pre-season for next season, if the coronavirus pandemic means footy is played into as late as November and December.

“I don’t think pre-season needs to be as long as it is now,” he said.

“For the younger guys it’s more about getting those training habits … but for blokes like me (experienced players) I think a month is enough (for pre-seasons).”

On Sunday, Jonas finished two weeks of self isolation, as did all Port players and coaches who travelled to the Gold Coast for the Power’s Round 1 win over the Suns upon their return to Adelaide.

Originally published as Port Adelaide captain Tom Jonas says AFL players will only need two weeks to finetune their skills when competition resumes