Dan Houston and Tom Jonas pose with young fans. Image: AFL Photos.

THUNDER Power, the Port Adelaide mascot, should feel more love this weekend with kids having free entry to Adelaide Oval this weekend as part of the AFL's Kids Go Free Month, which runs until Round 17.

And the opportunity to win young hearts in the ultra-competitive market for new fans is not lost on Brownlow Medallist and Port Adelaide vice-captain Ollie Wines.

"It is a great initiative," says Wines of the AFL's determined campaign to revive league attendances after three tough seasons with the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Kids go free on Sunday for the Gold Coast game. We all reflect on our childhood and the love we have for the game. (Growing up in country Victoria) I loved footy that much, but did not have that many opportunities to get to Melbourne to watch."

The opportunity to turn young fans from loving the game of Australian football to loving the Port Adelaide Football Club is well noted by Wines.

"You generally win your biggest fans when they are young," Wines said. "I was a die-hard Carlton supporter before I came to Port Adelaide. When you are young, you fall in love with your team.

"Hopefully, we can turn some fans to loving Port Adelaide at the weekend."

Todd Marshall interacts with a young fan following Port Adelaide's Round 11 win. Image: AFL Photos.

And the older fans might be finding new love for Port Adelaide after the strong recovery from the 0-5 start has Wines and his team-mates still in the conversation for a top-eight berth. The battle with 11th-ranked Gold Coast on Sunday allows 12th-placed Port Adelaide to finally square the win-loss ledger at 7-7.

"Obviously, the year has not gone to plan as we would have liked it," Wines said. "But we are still in the hunt. We are still doing some good things and there are plenty of opportunities ahead of us for the rest of the season to win a finals spot and continue our good win-loss record from the past couple of years."

Port Adelaide has averaged 27,921 at home games at Adelaide Oval - still down on the pre-COVID count of 33,950 in 2019. And Wines is eager to win back more than just the young fans.

"You see (the crowds) are missing at the moment - for whatever reason," Wines said. "There has been some soul-searching by the AFL, a lot of fans have been surveyed to get to the bottom of it.

"The fans are the cornerstone of our game. We want the fans there. We want fan engagement. It is a problem at the moment and the AFL is doing everything it can to get fans back."

Wines is a major drawcard to the turnstiles at Adelaide Oval as the most-recent Brownlow Medallist, a prestigious title that still demands the bullish midfielder find his best this season.

Ollie Wines says fans are at the cornerstone of the game, hoping to gain the support of a few young fans this week against Gold Coast. Image: AFL Photos.

"I have been a bit frustrated," Wines said in assessing his form which hit a high at the weekend with a game-high 34 possessions in the 23-point win against Sydney at Adelaide Oval.

"I have been searching throughout the season. It is hard when you set a standard like that last year. I don't worry about what is said externally, but I do concern myself with what I can do for the team. I want to play my role to the highest ability to give us every chance of winning.

"I feel I have been a little bit down ... but, generally, I do like the back half of the year. The speed comes out of the game and I am able to thrive a little bit more. So, I am excited for the remaining games and what is possibly to come in September.

"I have got some things right - and I will be looking to maintain that form for the rest of the year.

"(The weight of expectation as a Brownlow Medallist) is there a little bit. It is so prestigious that you want to uphold that standard for the rest of your career and sometimes that is not possible.

"But you can aspire to reach that level with whatever you do by preparing and training during the week to give you every opportunity on match day. I will keep working at it and hopefully we will continue our form."

Wines scored 10 goals in 24 matches last season (10.15 overall) - and has 5.9 in 12 games this year when Port Adelaide has had its scoring average fall and had less output on the scoreboard from its midfielders.

"It is a bit of a trend in our team," Wines explained. "In general, our scoreboard impact has not been there. Our defence has been really strong, probably top two in the league.

"But our offence has been down, for whatever reason. It is something we do look to do - hit the scoreboard, particularly as a midfield to take the load off the forwards. But there is still plenty of improvement there."

Free tickets for kids - aged up to 15 – are available online.