Adelaide United captain Craig Goodwin says the Reds are well placed to build on last season’s progress after returning for the opening days of pre-season this week.
The squad officially commenced preparations for the 2026/27 season on Thursday, beginning with VO₂ max testing at Flinders University before undertaking strength assessments at the South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) on Friday.
The testing provides players and staff with key performance benchmarks ahead of another demanding pre-season, with Goodwin excited to be back alongside his teammates after the off-season break.
“It’s good to be back after five weeks off,” Goodwin said.
“Today is all about the general testing to see where we’re at physically. It gives us a base to build from throughout pre-season and into the season.”
As part of the testing process, players were also able to compare their results against elite international benchmarks, something Goodwin believes provides valuable motivation for Adelaide United’s emerging talent.
“The Premier League is obviously a benchmark,” he said.
“It gives the boys something to look at and aspire to because that’s where a lot of these young players want to get to eventually. It’s good to have that information, see where we’re at and then work on what we can improve.”
The Club captain enters the new campaign in excellent condition after overcoming the groin injury that impacted the latter stages of last season.
“Physically, I’m feeling really good,” Goodwin said.
“I came back for the last few games of last season, but after being out for three to four months I wasn’t quite at my best.
“Now I’ve had a proper break, I’m fresh and looking forward to building that fitness, getting the sharpness back, working hard with the boys and preparing for a really strong season.”
After falling just short of a Grand Final berth last season, Goodwin believes the experience has only strengthened one of the competition’s youngest squads.
“I hope it drives the group massively,” he said.
“When you have a disappointment like that, it’s something you need to remember, learn from and use to come back better.
“It was tough at the time, but it’s also great experience for these young players as we prepare for another season and look to improve on what we achieved last year.”
Goodwin believes the group is entering this pre-season in a far stronger position than it was 12 months ago.
“We’ve built ourselves a really good foundation,” he said.
“If you look at where we were at the beginning of last pre-season compared to where we are now, we’re in a much better place to begin with.
“We’re really close to being able to do something special with this group, so now it’s about working hard throughout pre-season and continuing to build towards that.”
