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.
Radelaide
Guest
The starting lineup that had spots that he could occupy had players who had very good years but a couple of interchange players were definitely not up to Ollie's standards, the other thing was he a very outstanding finals series (which everyone remembers) but the team was picked before that. The other thing that may have hurt his champion data stats was out of all the players in the AFL he had close to the least TOG out of all the players due to his age, strength of the team and aerobic capacity (which he has worked hard on this pre season), that being said he ranked 19th (in AFL) for contested possessions last year so he's making every possession count which is where his true value lies.
TomC
Roar Guru
Super player. Some similarities to Michael Voss. I remember when he slipped to pick 7 in the draft, and Brisbane had pick 8. I'm sure if he'd lasted one more spot we'd have gobbled him up.
TomC
Roar Guru
That under 23s team was amateur hour stuff. The impression I got was that not a lot of thought went into it.
JoshC
Guest
Yeah I couldn't believe he wasn't named in the best under 23's however I think that final against freo made a lot of outsiders take notice. He won't be flying under the radar this year. The comparisons against the best players of the last decade is brilliant and if he could replicate Juddy and win Port's first brownlow in his third season would be huge, oh and holding up the premiership cup wouldn't go astray either!!
Franko
Guest
Cameron Lings voting in 2013 Rising Star 5 – Jaeger O’Meara 4 – Brad Crouch 3 – Nick Vlastuin 2 – Tom Mitchell 1 – Aaron Mullett Still, happy for Wines to stay under the radar outside Port, its been a stellar two years.
Damien
Guest
And yet he wasn't considered good enough to be named in the best under-23 team last year and champion data rates him as simply an average player! What a joke! Great article though, Melbourne must cringe every time they see him dominate for Port!
Radelaide
Guest
Consider that Burgo doesn't allow players to undertake full weights sessions in their first 2 seasons so his size so far especially (the quads) is just natural growth for him (truly genetically gifted). The other thing about him is his mindset to overcome doubt and make sure he is the one that wins the ball and become a big game/moment player, we are so lucky to have him and he seems to be reciprocating the sentiment as he and his family are very close to the club and his teammates.