‘We have to cop everything that comes our way’: Co-captain Ollie Wines faces up to Port Adelaide’s inconsistency
Port Adelaide co-captain Ollie Wines is refusing to shy away from criticism after several high-profile Power premiership players savaged the side over its inconsistent form.
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Ollie Wines concedes his leadership and Port Adelaide’s flaky mentality is under the blow-torch entering Showdown 47 — deserving “everything” that critics including legend Warren Tredrea dish up.
Port remains without consecutive wins since Round 6 after a 25-point loss to the Western Bulldogs that saw 2004 premiership skipper Tredrea lament a lack of direction and a side doing fans’ heads in”.
“Certainly. We can’t be trusted to play good footy, we have proven that. One week we will turn up and the next week will have a bad night,” Port co-skipper Wines told The Advertiser.
“We have to cop everything that comes our way.”
Port got its selection wrong in wet conditions, overlooking Tom Rockliff and Sam Powell-Pepper against the Dogs. But midfield bull Wines failed to impact with 12 touches.
Wines — who is still finding peak condition following shoulder and leg injuries — owned a sub-par effort which contrasted with Marcus Bontempelli’s 27-touch, matchwinning turn.
“Myself, I am not in the best form at AFL level so I have to lift that and set the standard in things that aren’t skill related,” said Wines in an honourable self-appraisal.
“So just attack on the ball and will to get the ball forward, struggled to do that in the first quarter, which probably didn’t help.”
Wines and Tom Jonas are enduring a tough initiation as co-captains after succeeding Travis Boak. The heat will only increase entering a derby Port must win to get back in the top eight. Wines will take any bullet for his men.
“That’s to be expected. Tommy and I are the leaders for a reason and will stand up for the boys until we die,” said 136-game on-baller Wines.
Kane Cornes has lashed the Power as a “response-based club” over several years which was an “indictment on Ken Hinkley and the playing group”.
Wines, 24, agreed Port was continually unreliable — a mental hurdle it had been unable to overcome in reaching September once since 2015. Port sits outside the eight behind Fremantle on percentage after the Dockers’ loss to Carlton, but victory against the ‘Dogs would have matched Adelaide on 32 points.
“I guess it shows where we are at, it has been the same for a few years now,” said Wines.
“We can turn up when we are the underdog and bring some exceptional effort but we can’t be trusted to get these games we are expected to win, done.
“It is not like these teams are physically better than us, it comes down all mentally.
“The damage they (Bulldogs) in that first quarter and their will to push the ball forward in those conditions was far greater than us.”
Inside midfielders Tom Rockliff, who had 57 touches against North Adelaide, Sam Powell-Pepper, club champion Justin Westhoff and ruckman/forward Paddy Ryder made heavyweight cases for Showdown recalls in the SANFL.
Wines was concerned that having massive internal selection pressure failed to spark a response against the ‘Dogs.
“We have guys in the SANFL banging the door down and have seen over the past month Ken is not afraid to drop anyone and brings guys in from the SANFL. You would think that would keep us on the ball,” said Wines.
“I guess that is the problem with us. We know we will rebound after this loss but the problem is the loss in the first place.”
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