In the space of just two short years, Port Adelaide’s Ollie Wines has established himself as one of the game’s most promising young midfielders. And if the pre season chatter out of Alberton is to be believed, he may well hold the key to Port’s 2015 premiership aspirations.
It’s hard to believe that when the Power run onto Domain Stadium to kick off their 2015 campaign, Wines will be playing just his 50th game at AFL level.
Since being drafted with pick seven at the 2012 draft, the kid from Echuca has not missed a beat.
Wines has played all 49 games, including five finals, in that time. In 2014, just his second season at the elite level, Wines averaged 24 disposals, five tackles and five clearances per game, to go with 14 goals from the midfield.
To put those numbers into perspective, let’s compare the averages of Joel Selwood and Chris Judd – two notable early bloomers, turned pre-eminent midfielders of their generation – at the same stage of their respective careers:
In 2008, Selwood averaged 25 disposals, three tackles and three clearances per game, kicking six goals.
In 2003, Judd averaged 18 disposals, three tackles and five clearances per game, kicking 15 goals.
For the record, Judd won the Brownlow Medal in his third season.
Like Selwood and Judd before him, Wines has wasted no time establishing himself as a big game player. In 2013, he kicked two important second half goals to help Port to an upset win over Collingwood in the elimination final.
In 2014, he produced a stunning midfield display in another upset win, this time against Fremantle, collecting 26 disposals and kicking three goals in what Cameron Ling described as the best final he had seen from a second year player.
Statistically, it is clear that Wines’ performances to this stage of his career stack up with the very best. It is his game style, however; that is of the greatest note.
Wines is an inside midfielder. He wins his own ball, wins clearances and uses his hands to feed Port’s bevy of running types. He is a veritable bull at the contest – extremely difficult to move and always ploughing ahead with forward momentum.
Somewhat scarily, if the rumours emanating from Alberton this pre season are anything close to true, Wines may well be about to become an even more imposing force.
He has reportedly shed ‘puppy fat’ and replaced it with muscle. This means no loss of mass but an increase in strength.
And such is the esteem Wines is held in by his teammates and coaches, he has recently been added to Port’s leadership group, at the age of just 20.
Port’s midfield is flush with speed and skill – Travis Boak, Hamish Hartlett, Robbie Gray, Brad Ebert, Matt Whte and Jared Polec, to name just a few. But it may well prove to be the strength and workmanship of the raging bull from Echuca that holds the key to their premiership chances in 2015.
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