Jason Horne-Francis has insisted comments about Port Adelaide’s training standards were not a dig at his former club North Melbourne, but has said his trade was “the best decision I’ve made”.

Despite the prized former number one draft pick spending just one season at the Kangaroos before his bombshell trade request last year, the teen was seen to take a subtle swipe at his former club’s training habits.

Speaking this week, Horne-Francis said Port Adelaide’s training standards were “something I’ve never seen before”.

In a later interview with Seven News, Horne-Francis said “North Melbourne’s training standards were still very, very good.”

“I just think it’s the competitiveness of all the boys at Port Adelaide is just top tier and I think it’s unmatched in the competition.”

Horne-Francis said added he was ecstatic with his decision to move.

“I’m loving it, I’m loving having my support network around me, my family, it’s the best decision I’ve made,” he said.

The environment at Port Adelaide - where his stepfather Fabian played 86 games - was another source of encouragement for him ahead of his second season in the AFL.

“It’s a competitive environment and that’s something I love. The training standard that we’re at is awesome and I’m loving being on the track with the boys.

“Coming to a new club and being in rehab was obviously tough. I wasn’t able to be around the boys as much as I would have liked to but definitely coming back training now has been awesome.”

Horne-Francis endured a horror debut season at North after becoming the cellar dweller's first ever number one draft pick in 2021.

Clashes with teammates on-field and alleged issues off it, including claims he refused a coach’s order to get in an ice bath and was later dropped as a result, Horne-Francis made the call to return home to South Australia citing homesickness.

New coach Ken Hinkley said he had no doubt Horne-Francis was more comfortable back home with family.

“You’re pick one in the draft, you’ve left North Melbourne after your first year for obvious reasons – you just wanted to return home. He’s a really talented footballer… you don’t go pick one in the draft if you haven’t got all the talent and he’s got all the talent in the world,” Hinkley praised on SEN on Monday.

“He’s looking really, really good.

“He’s 19 – that’s the problem (with the scrutiny he faces).

“He’ll be an outstanding player for Port Adelaide. He’ll be a player we’ll look back on in generations and say how good a player he was.

“Jase being back at home has really helped him, I think.

“We can all imagine as an 18-year-old when you go to a new city… you had to go so you went. Getting back around his family is really good for him.

“Let’s not forget he grows up with his brother and sister now that he was going to be torn apart from and they are quite young.

“He’s really embracing the opportunity to be the player who can be great.

“He needs his preparation at elite level and he’s certainly doing that for us.”

Horne-Francis’ new teammate Connor Rozee was also full of praise for the new recruit.

“Yeah he came in with a bit of baggage. I guess the media’s been getting into him over the last few months but he’s been head down, bum up and working really hard,” he said on ABC Radio.

“He’s torn up the track the last couple of weeks.

“He seems to have a bit of fire in his belly to really prove some people wrong.

“He seems like he’s going to be a massive pick up for us.”

North Melbourne coughed up both Jason Horne-Francis (the 2021 number one draft pick) and the 2022 first pick to secure both Harry Sheezel and George Wardlaw inside the top five selections in what eventually became a four-club trade.