OLLIE WINES might have just won the Brownlow Medal as the AFL’s best player but Port Adelaide football boss Chris Davies has warned the 26-year-old can still get better.
Wines had a record-breaking season in which he polled votes in 16 games and got 36 votes - both the most-ever since the 3-2-1 voting system was introduced.
The Port Adelaide vice-captain was one of four players to get more than 30 votes – the first time this has happened in a Brownlow Medal count – and edged out Western Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli to claim the honour.
Davies has seen Wines develop first-hand, praising assistant coach Michael Voss for the mentoring role he has taken with the midfield bull.
He told Adelaide radio Wines had an outstanding season but could still get better, based around playing to his strengths and keeping his game simple.
“I think he can,” Davies said. “That’s not to say he’s not already fantastic but Ken (Hinkley) and I were talking on the flight home today about the story of a player who matures, really gets an understanding of what he brings to not only his own game but also the team, and really embracing that.
“He’s not trying to be anything that he’s not and just making sure he does whatever he can in order for our team to be better.”
Davies played a key role at the end of the count when he supplied an anxious Wines with some speech notes written on the back of a seating place card after the midfielder appeared “rattled” as the rounds ticked away.
Yet the General Manager – Football said he would take full responsibility if Wines failed to poll any further Brownlow Medal votes after forgetting to include the umpires in his list of people to thank for the award.
“(Ollie) came to me late in the count and said he was a bit rattled so (Welfare manager) Paul Stewart and I who were on the table next to him decided to just write a couple of notes to keep him on track,” Davies laughed.
“He missed a couple of the points and clearly I didn’t give him everything that he should have said because he forgot to thank the umpires for next year as well.
“I think if he had his time again, he might have ticked them off.
“I’m happy to take the responsibility for that and if Ollie never polls another Brownlow vote then you’ll know I’ve had a negative influence on the whole situation.”
Port Adelaide CEO Matthew Richardson described Wines winning the award as a “really significant achievement” and something the club would celebrate in some way at the right time.
He said after the its disappointing finals exit at the hands of the Western Bulldogs a week earlier, the win gave the club something to celebrate.
“Our people are hurting a bit at the moment, they’re disappointed (about the way the season ended), and rightly so, but to have something like this to finish the year off with (is nice).”
