Port Adelaide vice-captain Ollie Wines aspiring to top office at Port Adelaide
DESCRIBED as a “beast” by his coach Ken Hinkley in the Power’s win against Sydney last week, Port Adelaide midfielder Ollie Wines is devouring the pressure as his contract talks at Alberton draw attention.
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PORT Adelaide midfielder Ollie Wines does want the AFL captaincy at Alberton, but he concedes there is still much to learn from the man in the Power’s No. 1 jumper, Travis Boak.
Crows premiership captain and Advertiser columnist Mark Bickley has nominated Wines — who is expected to sign a two-year contract extension at Alberton — to be Port Adelaide’s captain as soon as next season.
“It is something I aspire to do,” said Wines on radio FIVEaa.
“And I am really loving learning off ‘Boaky’,” added Wines of his fellow midfielder who is in his sixth season as AFL captain at Alberton.
“The captaincy comes across your mind every now and then. I love seeing what type of leading ‘Boaky’ is — and it is inspiring to be someone like that.
“If it is at Port Adelaide, I would be very proud to wear that (captain’s) badge. But at this stage I’m absolutely thrilled just to be vice-captain.”
Wines, 23, will qualify for free agency — most likely restricted free agency — when his new contract expires at Port Adelaide. He has played 109 AFL games since joining the Power as the club’s first call (No. 7) at the 2012 AFL national draft.
Wines was described as a “beast” by coach Ken Hinkley at the weekend for his tough performance against Sydney at the SCG where the Power made a second-half comeback to win by 23 points.
Wines’ game-changing work, particularly at the contest, contradicted Essendon great Tim Watson’s review that the Victorian is not “the superstar, game-changing, match-winning midfield-type player in this competition”.
“All that external stuff is water off a duck’s back for me,” Wines said. “I don’t look too much (into external critiques).
“I know what I can do on the footy field. The team knows what I can do — and the role I have to play.
Wines noted the maturity of the Port Adelaide team to adjust at half-time to change from “dry weather” tactics to deal with the humidity in Sydney by playing “old, traditional football”.
Port Adelaide is expected to advance to 0-3 — for the first time since 2013 — by beating Brisbane at Adelaide Oval on Saturday afternoon.
“We’re very keen for this one,” Wines said. “It is a different challenge (the Swans compared to the Lions), but we want to keep the ball rolling ... we love winning.
“We want to go 3-0 — and that is the only real motivation you should need.”
The match will mark the first appearance of former Brisbane captain Tom Rockliff as a rival to his former Lions team-mates.
Wines revealed Rockliff felt more nervous about his first game for Port Adelaide a fortnight ago than his first game against Brisbane.
“His nerves have settled — he is looking forward to it more than anything,” Wines said.
michelangelo.rucci@news.com.au
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