Adelaide midfielder Tyson Edwards wants a first-round NAB Cup victory against Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Sunday as an early launching pad for his 12th AFL season.

"We're playing to win," Edwards said after training on Wednesday. "It's much better if you keep winning in this comp and keep playing the sides that have got some good form and are playing well."

Asked what intensity level the Crows were expecting from Port, Edwards said: "They'll be out there trying to win, as well. Once you actually get out there and get into it, you start to get that feeling back and you want to win. I expect the intensity to be pretty high, as per usual for a Port-Crows game."

Is there a different mindset for Adelaide's players against Port this year, given the Crows have won their past three duels with the Power?

"No, not at all," Edwards said. "Obviously we won a few last year, got a few back on them, but the pre-season's about just getting your form and hopefully winning to keep you in the comp to keep playing the good sides. Nothing will change from previous games."

Asked what message coach Neil Craig had given the players during one especially expressive part of training, Edwards said: "That training wasn't good enough, basically. We knew it, as well - particularly one drill. We'd already addressed it but he reinforced it.

"It happens from time to time. Our kicking at that stage of training just wasn't good enough and that's not going to win too many games when you train like that."

Edwards, 29, a veteran of 221 AFL matches (all 25 last year) since his debut in 1995, enjoyed probably his best season in 2005, which is saying something considering his remarkable consistency for some years now.

With 155 votes, he was fifth in the Crows' club champion award - behind Simon Goodwin (195), Nathan Bassett (169), Ben Rutten (166) and Andrew McLeod (164) - and, with 16 votes, he and Sydney's Barry Hall tied for fifth place in the Brownlow Medal voting - behind the West Coast Eagles' Ben Cousins (20) and Daniel Kerr (19), St Kilda's Nick Dal Santo (18) and the Western Bulldogs' Scott West (17).