Ollie Wines opens up on trade speculation, COVID-19 breach and Port Adelaide’s premiership push
From trade speculation to losing the captaincy and a ‘stupid’ COVID-19 breach, trouble seemed to be following Ollie Wines. Now the midfielder is a driving force behind Port Adelaide’s premiership push. What changed?
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The seconds were ticking down in last Friday night’s first qualifying final with Port Adelaide 16 points ahead of Geelong.
It was tight contest and nearing the end of what had been a tough, physical game, with players battered and bruised, their tired legs bursting with last ditch runs at the ball.
With less than one minute left on the clock, Adelaide Oval’s big screen flashed up a live image of Port coach Ken Hinkley sitting in the coaches’ box. At this point the 26,000-odd fans in the stadium sensed that the siren was near and their clapping became even louder, before they erupted in a slow chant: “Powwweeerrr!”.
Power vice-captain Ollie Wines had put in a mammoth effort that night – a game-high 24 disposals, five tackles, five clearances and a team-high 435 metres gained – and as those final seconds ticked down, he allowed himself a moment to notice the crowd’s united cheer.
Looking back now, he rates the qualifying final win as the highlight of his 157-game career to date.
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“It’s hard to put into words,” Wines says. “You work so hard to get to this point in the season and yeah, we did have a second chance if we lost, but I think the amount of work we’ve put in since November last year, it’s been 11 months to get to this point.
“And to get to that last quarter … there were 30 seconds to go and Ken must have been shown on the scoreboard because the crowd got the sense the siren was about to go and the eruption and the noise the crowd created then, it gave me shivers … we were going to progress to a preliminary final.
“When the siren went, the emotion of the boys to get around each other was outstanding … sorry, these words don’t do it justice, but it’s like nothing I’ve experienced before.”
FAMILY TIES
Watching the game from her loungeroom in Echuca in country Victoria, some 660km away from Adelaide Oval, was Jane Wines, Ollie’s mum.
In any given year, Jane and her husband Tony would have travelled to the ground to cheer on their son and his teammates. But 2020 is not any given year with its COVID-19 protocols and border restrictions. It’s not all bad, though.
“This is going to sound really weird, but I’m happy in my loungeroom watching him on TV,” Jane says. “It doesn’t stress me, I can have a cup of tea or a glass or wine, I can do the ironing and if I’m not enjoying the game, I can go and water some plants.
“I love the Adelaide Oval, it’s amazing, but sometimes it really overwhelms me, so I’m really happy in my loungeroom.
“But Tony is just beside himself. He loves being at the game to watch him, so he’s really struggled. He looked into drilling a hole under the border; he would have gone in underground if he could have. But me? I love the safety of my living room.”
However, it means she wasn’t around to help Wines celebrate his 26th birthday on Tuesday.
The now 26-year-old is the first to admit the past 18 months have been a rollercoaster for him: 2019 began with a shoulder injury suffered while waterskiing, then came the excitement of the announcement he would lead the club as co-captain alongside best mate Tom Jonas, but he continued to suffer a series of injuries to his leg and thumb which interrupted his season. He played only 12 games, copped a barrage of armchair criticism and Port missed finals.
In December, news broke that the club had decided to revert back to sole captaincy and Wines had been relegated to vice-captain behind Jonas.
Perhaps this was the fresh start he needed and a new year beckoned. However 2020 began no better: Wines injured a shoulder again – this time at training – requiring surgery, keeping him out of Round 1.
Then COVID struck and the competition went into shutdown. Wines returned home to Echuca to continue his rehab there. The extended break seemed something of a stroke of luck; he could get his shoulder right and not miss any more matches. However, in the lead-up to June’s Round 2 Showdown against Adelaide, Wines invited a television crew to the front of his home to film his weekly contracted interview with them.
This was in contravention of the AFL’s strict COVID-19 protocols and Wines was suspended for one match. He would take it all back if he could.
“That was a stupid mistake,” Wines says. “At the time we were all getting used to the rules and regulations and protocols we had to live under that no one fully grasped yet and unfortunately I was one of the first ones to get caught out.
“All the protocols now are second nature to us and what we have to do to live under them is just how we live.”
Jane says that breach was out of character: “We have to force him to break rules, we have to tell him to be a rule-breaker sometimes – not that we want him to break big rules – so for that to happen to him, and to get the club and put the whole footy world at risk, oh … that was another challenge for him.”
Making matters worse was swirling speculation that had Wines not been banned, he wouldn’t have been picked for Round 2 anyway.
Back in June, Hinkley told media: “It’s crazy to have speculation about a player who’s your vice-captain, he’s in your best 22 and where he fits at the football club”.
Wines admits the rumours were tough to ignore.
“It’s hard to pay no attention to it,” he says. “But we know what happens inside our four walls and there’s always going to be rumours or speculation and at my point in my career I know what to look at and what not to.”
Then there’s the ongoing speculation about his playing future, despite him being contracted to Port until the end of 2022, with Carlton often touted as suiters. But Wines is adamant that he’s happy in Adelaide, happy with his role in the team and can’t see himself going anywhere else.
LEADING BY ACTIONS
Despite the shoulder surgery, despite the COVID breach, Wines returned to the Power side for Round 3 and has played every game since as a vital cog in the Power’s successful engine room.
According to Champion Data, the big-bodied midfielder is now posting career-best SuperCoach points (105 per game) and has career-best kicking efficiency (55.3 per cent). He’s also averaging his second-most disposals (27.1) and metres gained (373m) when adjusting the 2020 data to allow for shorter game times.
But it’s his form since Round 7’s thrilling three-point win over Carlton at The Gabba that has been particularly eye-catching.
He’s ranked third in the side for tackles (4.2), metres gained (323m) and disposals (22.8). He’s the second-ranked Power player for ranking points (113), and clearances (5.1), and is ranked first in the team for the all-important contested possession count: now averaging 11.5 per game.
“Coming into my prime as a footballer, I’ve got to start to leading with my actions and what I do on the football field and to not be able to do that with injury after injury (in 2019) was really frustrating,” he says.
“The position I play needs continuity with consistent game time and I wasn’t able to do that. But to find that this year is really pleasing.”
Jane says it’s been wonderful watching her son return to his best.
“I can see, he’s just happy,” she says. “He’s enjoying every contest, which I don’t, but he does. He’s looking great.”
THE KEN CONNECTION
Another element of the 2020 Port Adelaide side that’s looking great is the obvious connection between Hinkley and his players. As Melbourne great Garry Lyon observed after Port’s win over Geelong: “If (coaches) don’t have (players’) hearts, you’re not getting their minds. (Hinkley’s) got them. He’s got their hearts, and that’s half the battle.”
“It is very true of Ken,” Wines says. “Over the last 18 months we’ve put so much into our connection space, not just knowing you as a footballer but knowing you as an individual … opening yourself up to being vulnerable. I think that’s brought us really close.
“And how interested Ken is in us as individuals. He knows that a lot of us are from interstate and haven’t had our families this year and him knowing those intricate details as opposed to just football, football, football has created that bond.”
While Wines is able to put the year into perspective – COVID’s been tough on many people – he admits that because he lives alone, with his new dog Billie, it hasn’t all been easy.
“Apart from seeing the guys at training during the day, you’re on your own outside work hours,” he said.
“Thankfully, when the AFL loosened the rules up you could go around to people from your bubble’s houses and that made it a bit easier, but at first it was a bit tough.
“I live pretty close by to Tom Clurey and Dan Houston, so usually we spend a fair bit of time together.
“Tom’s just put a water sprinkling system in, so we got on the shovels for a few hours and helped him out there. Just being around each other and helping do little things away from football has been good for us.”
Jane may not be physically near them, but she can sense the new team connection from afar.
“There’s been an amazing calmness in the team and they’re a little family, I can see it,” she says.
But she admits that after seven months apart — and counting — she’s desperate to give her son a hug.
“Just to touch his little cheek – well, it’s not so little these days – I can’t wait to have all of them home (along with son Harry who’s studying remotely from Echuca and daughters Sophie and Maddie who live together in Melbourne).
“I would give anything to give him a cuddle … but there is a bigger picture here and there are far worse off than me. And I think he’s getting lots of hugs from that team, and from that coach.”
Ollie misses his family.
“I’m a little bit of a mummy’s boy, so usually mum’s over a fair bit, and not to have them around is tough. I think our playing group is one of the highest with interstate players, so we’ve had to band together and get through this period without seeing immediate family.
“But I think it’s made us a lot stronger. Out of a hard year, that’s probably been a real advantage for us with how much it’s brought us together, just having dinner at guys’ houses, or hanging out with guys you probably don’t spend as much time with because that’s all we’ve got. It’s probably shown a bit in our connection on the football field.”
The Power will be hoping that connection bodes well for their preliminary final in a week’s time.
Jane will be watching from Ollie’s old family home.
“I wouldn’t go to a game now even if we could, because I feel that Ollie’s got a really good synergy going, so has the team, there’s a real karma about them, maybe it’s because they all know they’re together,” she says.
“We’ll be watching it at home. And I’ll have my ironing basket right there.”
DUURSMA: I WOULD DO IT ALL AGAIN
- Reece Homfray
Xavier Duursma didn’t leave his house for three days after being knocked out going back with the flight of the ball in Port Adelaide’s qualifying final win over Geelong, but says he’d do it all again next week if it meant a spot in the grand final.
The 20-year-old doesn’t remember colliding with Cats ruckman Mark Blicavs in the third quarter on Thursday night, or being in tears when doctors told him he couldn’t go back on at three-quarter-time.
The last thing he remembers before lying face down on the turf was his tackle on Jack Henry to win a free kick minutes earlier, which earnt him as many admirers as his subsequent act of courage.
Still nursing a sore chest and neck, Duursma returned to training at Alberton on Monday for light duties as he prepares for the Power’s preliminary final next Friday.
“The first time I left the house was to come to training (on Monday), on the weekend I just tried to rest and get myself back into some decent order,” he said.
“Bit of doctor’s orders, bit of my own, I didn’t want to move anyway because I was a bit sore and battling to move, so I wanted to make sure I was looking after myself and not doing much.
“My head is fine, but my chest and neck is just sore from the impact.
“Obviously there are things I’ve got to tick off first, but I’m pretty confident I’m going to be right to play in the next game.
“It’s just a slow build up for me and I should be up and about by the end of the week.”
As for his tears, he says they can only be explained by the disappointment he felt at the time and the impact of the concussion.
“The shock of it all and not being allowed to get back out there, it’s a final and I wanted to be out there and playing and giving everything I had for the team to make sure we won,” he said.
“When you’re told you can’t get back out there it’s pretty flattening, obviously I don’t remember too much of actually having the tears coming out, but I think it was all part of the shock that comes straight after something like that I assume.
“I have read somewhere as well that when you do get concussion you start to get a bit more emotional as well, so that might have something to do with it.
“It was good the boys got it done in the end and you want to look after your head for the long run, so it’s the right call that any player who has a concussion doesn’t go back out there.”
Duursma hadn’t had a concussion since his junior years which is somewhat surprising given the way he goes back with the flight of the footy regularly at AFL level.
The lightly-built wingman did the same thing against the Western Bulldogs in Round 10, only this time he took a mark of the year contender and bounced up while Josh Bruce and Tom Jonas were flattened on the ground.
“I think it’s really important and shows you’re putting your heart on your sleeve every time you’re going out there, and you will put your body on the line,” Duursma said.
“I don’t go out there looking for it but if it is my turn to go then I’m not going to shirk the contest, I’ll give it everything I’ve got.”
In his first season of AFL footy last year he earnt the respect of his teammates with his two-way running, clocking the second most kilometres of any player in the competition with his preparedness to help out in defence as much as he enjoyed running forward to fire his bow and arrow.
“That was one of the things I wanted to bring to the team straight away and I was hoping to get a lot of respect from the defenders because it’s really important for our team,” Duursma said.
“We are a really strong defensive team, but it only works if we are good two-way runners and are getting back hard and helping our defenders, which enables us to start our offence.”
But after hurting his hamstring in June, Port Adelaide’s running man admitted he lost confidence and it led to him being dropped in Round 13.
“I wasn’t playing to my own standards and coming back from injury I think I lost a lot of the confidence I usually played with,” he said.
“I had to try to get better and I think I did that, I got dropped, played a practice match against Hawthorn and got myself back into the team and feel I’ve played some good footy since then.
“While my numbers haven’t been massive I think my impact has been good and I’ve played some good games, so two more would be lovely.”
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Duursma’s first AFL final against Geelong last week followed a successful junior career when he won three consecutive premierships with Corner Inlet and played finals footy with Foster.
“I do always like playing finals, it’s my favourite time of year and I always feel like even if we don’t win I’m always giving pretty much the best that I’ve got,” he said.
The only thing missing this time is his family who are unable to escape the Victorian border due to the Covid crisis.
“It’s unfortunate that they can’t get here but that’s just how it is this year, I’m looking forward to getting home and seeing them when the season does finish but we have a job to do first.”