Insider: Power’s fine Wines keeps getting better in his second year

PORT Adelaide Raging Bull Ollie Wines is enjoying one of the greatest seasons ever by a second-year player.

PORT Adelaide Raging Bull Ollie Wines is enjoying one of the greatest seasons ever by a second-year player.

Far from being hit by the second-year blues after his standout debut season when he finished third in the prestigious AFL Rising Star Award, Wines has taken his game to a completely new level.

The 19-year-old nicknamed Quad-zilla by his teammates because of his powerful legs, sits just below long-time recognised stars Chris Judd, Nick Dal Santo and Nathan Fyfe in the best second seasons — judged by Champion Data rankings points — produced by players since 1999.

Wines, who has played all 14 games for second-placed Port this season, is averaging 105 SuperCoach points — 31 more than last year.

His disposals have skyrocketed from 18.8 to 25.8 and his contested possessions from 8.3 to 12.6.

Echuca product Wines — the No. 7 pick at the 2012 national draft — ranks in the elite category (top 10 per cent) in the competition for contested possessions and above average (top 11 to 35 per cent) for disposals, clearances and tackles.

Only dual Brownlow Medallist Judd could be considered to have enjoyed a clearly better second season than Wines.

Judd averaged 110 rankings points for West Coast in 2003 and was so advanced in his development he won his first Brownlow the following year.

Of second year players since 1999 — not including mature-age recruits — midfield hard nut Wines ranks second in average disposals behind Bulldog Jack Macrae, second in contested possessions behind Docker Fyfe and third in clearances after Bulldog Tom Liberatore.

He has this season outperformed the two teenagers who beat him for last year’s Rising Star honour — Gold Coast’s Jaeger O’Meara (22-disposal average in 14 games) and Adelaide’s Brad Crouch (21-disposal average in three games).

History shows many first-year sensations plateau in their second year.

But not Wines.

He has elevated his game into rare air and proved to be an unstoppable force because of his talent, bullocking style and massive 187cm, 94kg frame.

Port assistant coach Matthew Nicks says Wines’ professional attitude and strong work ethic — not just his size and talent — has also had a lot to do with his rapid rise and continued progress.

“Ollie’s one of those young footballers who has matured really quickly and what he can do around the football, being a big-bodied, inside, contested ball winner who’s right at the coalface has been exceptional,’’ Nicks said.

“That’s his strength and he really loves it and looks forward to the challenge.

“He’s one of those players who has so much natural talent and his physique is such that he is built like he’s been in the game for five or six years, so there’s no problems as far as his strength and size goes.

“But there are areas of his game that he’s done so much work on, areas that probably a lot of the public and supporters don’t see, a lot of the outside (running and ball-winning) stuff.

“There there were areas where Ollie wasn’t outstanding at but he’s such a competitive beast that he wanted to work, he wanted to become that elite midfielder.

“He’s still working on his game but he’s improved out of sight and it is a credit to him. We do work with our players but Ollie has been a standout as far as learning and implementing that from week to week.

“He’s getting better and better.’’

It is a scary proposition for his rivals.