Port Adelaide’s Ollie Wines ignores contract talk to produce scintillating start to season

Is Ollie Wines coming of age and destined for super stardom? That’s the question former Port Adelaide champion Warren Tredrea is asking after a scintillating game from Wines against Sydney on the weekend.

Port Adelaide’s Ollie Wines (centre) of the Power competes for possession against Callum Mills of the Swans during the Round 2 AFL match between the Sydney Swans and the Port Adelaide Power at the SCG.

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IS Ollie Wines coming of age and destined for super stardom?

That’s the question facing footy fans after witnessing Wines jump out of the 2018 starting blocks with eye catching form.

After two rounds he’s averaging career high statistics - 31.5 disposals (15 contested), 5 tackles, 10.5 clearances (equal 2nd in AFL) per game.

His disposals count sits comfortably among the competitions elite ranked equal 8th alongside Demon Clayton Oliver and Crow Bryce Gibbs.

Over the past few seasons Wines has been dominant but has lacked consistency.

In 2016 he started slowly only to come home with a wet sail finishing runner up to superstar Robbie Gray in the club champion.

Just twelve months ago, he started promisingly only for his early season efforts to fall away.

And while he polled 18 votes in the Brownlow Medal he wasn’t rated as high internally finishing 6th in the clubs Best and Fairest.

But is his current hot form because he’s in a contract year?

It’s a valid question considering Wines has only six months left on his deal.

Contract years can work both for and against a player depending on their form.

If you play well clubs can be force to pay top dollar or risk losing you to a competitor - much like what Richmond did with superstar Dustin Martin after he flirted with a move to North Melbourne.

Port Adelaide's Ollie Wines and Sydney's Lance Franklin at the SCG. Picture. Phil Hillyard

But for every player who wins the contract standoff there are plenty who don’t.

Their form suffers under the intense scrutiny and we just don’t hear about them as much.

Either way Wines will be handsomely compensated to stay at Alberton and he’s not expected to jump ship.

But choosing to stay means he will have to fit within Port’s payment structure - there’s no way he’ll be paid more than Port’s most decorated and best player Robbie Gray.

The best advice I received in my career when it came to my contract negotiations was to “let your football do the talking and everything else will take care of itself” - the 23-year-old is doing just that.

Port is currently undefeated after two rounds and sit second on the AFL ladder.

The Power has Wines to thank for that, he was brilliant in their season opener against Fremantle and backed it up again on the weekend against Sydney.

Ollie and Skipper Travis Boak inspired Port’s come from behind 23-point win after the Powers poor first half showing against the Swans.

Wines finished with a game high 35disposals (19contested), 6 tackles and a goal – arguably his best ever in Power colours.

This performance alone proved to me that Wines is the man to replace Travis Boak as captain when he decides his time is up.

Wines’ communication around stoppages is first class, he demands others to uphold the team’s standards and he cares for teammates.

Who can forget when Ollie burst onto the AFL scene as a mature bodied rookie in 2013 playing 24 games in his first season, or in 2014 when he dominated in three big finals as the Power fell agonizingly short to eventual premiers Hawthorn in the preliminary final.

Since then he’s been slowly improving and eagerly working on his football craft for this moment - Ollie Wines is ready to take off.

In 109 matches he’s yet to put together a brilliant full season, I get the feeling that could be about to change.

Warren Tredrea is a Channel 9 News Sports Presenter, 3AW Football Commentator and PAFC Premiership Captain.