It all comes down to planning and preparation.

The Jets are in week three of a three month pre-season, but much of the donkey work had been carried out before the players assembled.

All 19 players contracted are on deck and training. Of those, 11 are in their second season under Papas.

"We are in such a different space compared to 12 months ago," Papas said.

"New players have been signed early. They were all screened, medicals were completed before they showed up and they were given programs.

"The existing players were given instructions and did a lot of work in the off-season.

"The training intensity, the way we train and the way we are trying to play is not foreign to them. It means we can push as hard as we like from the start. We are not conscious that they are underdone or things like that. It is about trying to get the other boys up to speed.

"Everyone is in a good space. They have looked after themselves in the off-season. It signals where the mentality is at and what the possibilities are. They are motivated to have a better season - play finals and look to win things. That is what they want."

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Adelaide have retained the core of the squad, headed by Craig Goodwin, that finished fourth last season.

Traditionally, the Reds hit the ground running and have earned a reputation as the cup kings, winning the national knockout three times since its inception in 2014.

"Adelaide haven''t had as many changes as us and are coming off a successful season," Papas said. "They have made some good re-signings and brought in more top young players. It will be a tough game. We respect them but we want to have all guns blazing from the start."

Papas expects to sign two or three players before the A-League campaign kicks off on the weekend of October 7-9.

"We are looking to sign an attacking midfielder, a central midfielder and possibly one more in the front third," he said.

One of the players will be a replacement for Brazilian Daniel Penha who signed a big money deal in Korea after a year on loan in Newcastle.

Papas' preference is to sign a player outright rather than to a loan deal.

"Most of the new boys this season have come in on two-year deals," Papas said. "It was always going to be a challenge first year coming in to build a squad that can play the type of football we play. This year we had a lot more time. We saw what was working, what wasn't working and what budget we are working with to build the next step. You don't want to be doing the same thing in 12 months time."

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