New-look Redden is raring to go

The big kid grows up - Port Adelaide ruckman Jarrad Redden with students from Loxton's St Alberts Catholic School, from left, Brodie, Shania, Isaac, Tia and Ocea. Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: The Advertiser

THE big kid has grown up.

Port Adelaide ruckman Jarrad Redden - who was badly burned in a freak accident as a teenager - has shed four kilograms and trimmed his skinfold measurements by 11 in a dramatic off-season transformation.

He has declared himself in "definitely the best condition" of his five-year AFL career and noted after the NAB Cup clash against Melbourne in Renmark on Sunday that "I reckon it's the first game that I haven't cramped in".

"I feel that I'm ready to go this year," said the 22-year-old gentle giant, who is locked in an intriguing three-way war with Matthew Lobbe and Brent Renouf to be the Power's No. 1 ruckman.

"I've matured a bit, I've dropped a few kilos, my running times are better and I'm finding it easier to move around the field. I've certainly noticed the difference from other seasons."

Criticised for lacking fitness, the highly skilled Redden - who played all nine of his AFL games last year - has benefited from an almost faultless pre-season under the Power's new high-performance manager Darren Burgess.

Much of his puppy fat is gone - his weight has dropped from 106 to 102kg - and he is jumping higher and running faster.

"I've given away all the little snacks I used to have," said Redden, who models his game on West Coast star Dean Cox.

"I've always liked my food but I've fixed my diet up and I feel better for it.

"Darren Burgess has brought in a different training regime and I've managed to maintain a high training load throughout the whole pre-season, which has helped me a lot."

He has the potential to develop for us the way Sam Jacobs developed at Adelaide

The 205cm-tall Redden's improvement was noticeable against the Demons in the Riverland.

He put his hand up to be the Power's No. 1 ruckman by winning the centre hit-out battle 9-4 in the first half against another youngster on the rise, Melbourne's Jake Spencer, before spending much of the second half stationed in attack.

Playing with a heavy head cold, Redden finished with 16 hit-outs, 16 disposals and three marks.

He had the chance to win the game for Port by taking a towering mark inside 50 with just minutes remaining but his set shot from 35 metres missed narrowly as the Power fell two points short of a second NAB Cup win of the season.

"Unfortunately I didn't finish off too well, which was disappointing," Redden said of his missed goal.

"I've got to finish from that position so, hopefully, I'll get a chance to rectify that down the track."

New Port coach Ken Hinkley and his key assistant Alan Richardson like what they see in the 2011 Woodville-West Torrens premiership player.

Richardson likened him to Crows star Sam Jacobs, who was unlucky not to earn All-Australian honours last season.

"I have been really impressed by Reddo," said Richardson, who is the Power's coaching and strategy director. "He's a really good footballer, not just a big bloke.

"There are certain parts of his game he can work on and develop but in terms of ruck craft and his marking, he's shown some real positives.

"He has the potential to develop for us the way Sam Jacobs developed at Adelaide.

"He just needs to get some continuity with his game but, unfortunately, his history has been that he hasn't been able to get out there all the time (because of injury and a lack of fitness).

"The big fella's had a bit more luck this pre-season and we just need to keep him out there," Richardson said.

Redden, being tutored at Alberton by dual Crows premiership ruckman Shaun Rehn, is the only Port ruckman not to miss a beat this pre-season.

Hawthorn premiership ruckman Renouf hasn't played a game because of knee tendonitis while 2007 first-round draft pick Lobbe returned last week from a minor hamstring injury which kept him on ice for nearly a month.

Redden, however, refuses to believe he has an early stranglehold on the No. 1 ruck spot.

"I'm definitely not the frontrunner, we're all fighting for that spot," said the man who infamously suffered second-degree burns to his face and hands while trying to frighten a rabbit out of its burrow on the Yorke Peninsula as a 16-year-old.

"Lobbes was training really well, too, and was unlucky to go down with his injury.

"He's just so athletic and Renouf is a quality ruckman.

"We're just all trying to put our best foot forward and will wait to see which way the coaches want to go," Redden said.

"Right now we really don't know what they are thinking."

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