My Two Cents: Rozee or Wines call looms large for the Power | Andrew Capel
Port Adelaide is poised for a change of captaincy but is it a case of back to the old or in with the new, writes Andrew Capel.
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The old warhorse or the rising superstar?
While premiership-chasing Port Adelaide has finals firmly on its mind, Tom Jonas’s retirement at the end of the season has sparked debate over his captaincy successor.
Does the Power return to old territory, go for a short-term fix and hand the captaincy back to 2021 Brownlow Medallist Ollie Wines, who shared the role with Jonas in 2019 before the club decided its co-captaincy model didn’t work and went back to a solo skipper?
Or does it look to the future and uncover its next long-term captain?
Wines, who will be 29 at the start of next season, would be the safe bet.
He was disappointed to lose the top on-field gig when he was pushed aside to let Jonas take over the captaincy in his own right four years ago.
Wines has filled in as skipper this year while Jonas spent time in the SANFL rediscovering form.
Depending on injuries and some tough selection calls, Wines could lead Port into the first final of its 2023 campaign against Brisbane at the Gabba on Saturday night and be in a position to hold the premiership cup aloft at the end of the month.
He clearly is ready to step into the breach on a full-time basis.
But young midfield excitement machine Connor Rozee – already a dual All-Australian – looms as the next-generation leader and face of the football club.
Rozee turns 24 in January – the same age Travis Boak was when he was named captain in 2013.
Boak has led the Power into battle more than any other player.
His 139 games as captain until passing the baton to Jonas and Wines in 2019 is 43 more than the next-ranked Port skipper, premiership leader Warren Tredrea (96).
The AFL has been littered with young captains.
The Western Bulldogs’ Marcus Bontempelli was 24 when he was handed the reins at The Kennel in 2020.
Four years earlier he became the youngest player in VFL-AFL history to captain a side to victory, as stand-in skipper, when the Dogs beat West Coast by eight points in Round 11.
Bontempelli, playing his 48th game, was aged just 20 years and 194 days.
Geelong legend Joel Selwood was 23 when he was appointed Cats skipper in 2012.
He led the team for 11 consecutive seasons until his retirement after Geelong’s 2022 premiership.
Triple Richmond premiership captain Trent Cotchin was only 22 when he was appointed skipper in 2013.
So age shouldn’t be an issue for Rozee, who has played 104 AFL games since being selected at pick five at the 2018 national draft from SANFL club North Adelaide.
He played in a SANFL league premiership side with the Roosters in his draft year, aged just 18, and has long displayed maturity beyond his years.
Last week Rozee was named an All-Australian for the second time, being one of only five players to make the elite side in each of the past two years.
He won the John Cahill Medal as Port’s best and fairest winner last year and will rank highly in the award again this year.
Alongside his great mate and Brownlow Medal fancy Zak Butters, Rozee has developed into one of the competition’s most dynamic players.
The kid from Port Augusta is a fan favourite and on-field excitement machine whose trophy cabinet is growing by the minute.
Apart from the major awards, he has won a Showdown Medal and two Peter Badcoe VC Medals, illustrating his big game capacity.
He also won Port’s leading goalkicker award in his first AFL season in 2019, booting 29 majors, when he was runner-up for the AFL Rising Star award behind Carlton’s Sam Walsh.
Off the field, Rozee is squeaky clean and handles himself well in the media, including regular spots on television and radio.
While he isn’t in Port's leadership group this year, with Jonas flanked by deputies Wines and Darcy Byrne-Jones, he oozes leadership qualities.
He could not have hoped for a better mentor at Alberton, with the super-professional Boak showing him the ropes.
“He has just been enormous for me,” Rozee told the AFL website of 346-game veteran Boak’s influence.
“Being a leader of our football club, he is a great person to talk to. He is very open and shares his knowledge.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better role model to help me out in the past few years.’’
Rozee is almost certain to be the Power’s next long term captain and proud wearer of its prized No. 1 guernsey.
Whether his reign begins next year - or the club opts for the more experienced Wines to take some pressure off its young gamebreaker - will be debated long and hard by the Port hierarchy over summer.
NUMBERS GAME
33
The age Crow Taylor Walker made his first All-Australian team, making him the oldest first-time selection.
6
Club captains to make this year’s All-Australian side.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
“That type of win is club building. They are the sorts of wins that we strive for as a footy club in any grade, whether it’s AFL men’s or women’s or SANFL.’’
– Adelaide SANFL coach Michael Godden after his team's comeback from 35 points down to beat Sturt in the qualifying final.
“If you have Brodie in the ruck, Rozee, Wines, Butters, it’s a scary combo. That’s you building your team around that midfield. They could do some serious damage.’’
– Collingwood’s Jeremy Howe on the possibility of Brodie Grundy joining Port Adelaide.
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