PORT ADELAIDE midfielder Ollie Wines says a simple, but physical, game plan has improved clarity and belief for the group to keep winning.  

Wines has enjoyed leading the AFL side over the past month, seeing growth in his leadership style since co-captaining in 2019, but remains confident skipper Tom Jonas will find his way back. 

On Wednesday, Wines spoke to the Adelaide media about his faith in Jonas, how he manages his own physical condition, and the physical demand of the side’s current game style. 

Wines on the bye week 
“It came at a really good time for our group. Usually in the past we have probably been in one of the earlier rounds for the bye and I think this year, the way we play our footy, it's quite physically demanding. It was a really good time for us, it’s been a really good break (since Thursday night’s game). Obviously, we haven't had our weekend of games off (yet), that will come but it's a good time to freshen up and get ready for the last nine games of the (minor round). 

“I went up to Byron Bay with my partner (over the weekend off) and chilled up there. A few of the boys were in the Gold Coast so I played golf with them. It was as much a mental break as physical. It was nice to see a bit of sun up there and warm up a bit.” 

Wines on his physical condition 
“(I’m) still trying to get my body going to the point where I want it but the game of football is as much played above the shoulders as it is with your whole body these days so you do need a mental release and to escape the preparation for a game and everything that goes into it, in terms of preparing notes for an opposition, so that's been a really good freshen up as well as physical (break). 

“Still my knee (is causing some issues). It's probably a 12-month injury to be honest and it's just something that's going to take time and a bit of a rest is going to do it well. It's just about ticking off months to get it used to being normal again. By game days, I'm pretty good, it's during the week and being able to manage the workload, where I feel as though I'm getting improvement in my game and being able to work on things I need to at training.” 

Wines on his midfield group 
“More than anything I'm loving seeing the development of those guys and seeing them take their game to a new level. Butts (Zak Butters), Roze (Connor Rozee), (Jason) Horne-Francis, Willem Drew, Miles Bergman when he comes onto the wing. These guys, who are such young, exciting players add new strings to their bow and take our game to the next level. It's really special to watch.” 

Wines on the side’s game plan 
“It's probably as clear as it's been with our playing group in terms of what we need to do to win. It’s certainly not easy, it’s probably physically the hardest game style I’ve ever played throughout my career. We make a commitment at the start of games to knuckle down for two-and-a-half, three hours of genuine pain because that’s what it takes to play our game style, but you reap the rewards. Our game plan is quite simple and clear to us but quite physically hard to execute.” 

Wines on his own leadership progression 
“I think naturally as a leader I’ve got less to do with the football and more to do in terms of leading and motivating the boys. 

“(The biggest growth as a leader for me is) probably with how I’ve got to play. I think Kenny (Hinkley) to me has always used Trent Cotchin as a really good example during (Richmond’s) three premierships how he led and did all the little things that he needed to do as a captain. It might not be getting 35 touches a game and doing the things that perhaps you see on paper, but it's the little things, the things that need to be done in our game plan I have to do as a leader, so the other guys will follow and do it is well.” 

Wines on captaincy and selection pressure  
“In a way it's difficult because I see (Jonas) as our captain, he is our captain. He’s an incredible leader and he's got us to where we are today. Seeing him not in the (AFL team) at the moment hurts me a little bit but my role in the team at the moment is to lead in his absence and do what I can. I’m enjoying the role when I’m in it and I feel like I’m getting a good response from the boys when I'm leading. 

“We really feel for (Jonas) and I think there are a lot of other guys as well that we feel for. I think that’s what good clubs are built on – understanding what is best for the team at the time and we know Tom will get back into form and back into the team but for the time being, it is difficult. There are a lot of guys who are banging the door down and it really keeps us on edge. 

“I’ve leaned on Tom and learned so much from him as a leader and I’ve got a really good relationship with Tom as colleagues and mates. We've got open dialogue between him and I and Kenny and we're on the same page and he's been really helpful for me. 

“You've got to reward form at the time (and) the more the guys play well in the SANFL, the more they’re knocking down the door to get in the team. As soon as there’s an opportunity, he’s been playing some really good footy along with a lot of guys in the SANFL backline, so it keeps us on edge to keep playing well.”