Port Adelaide midfielder Ollie Wines says the club’s young midfield is the most talented and versatile group he’s played alongside.  

Praising the group’s development over the past 18 months, the 30-year-old claims he wasn’t surprised at how quickly the likes of Zak Butters, Connor Rozee and Jason Horne-Francis have grown since being in the AFL system. 

Speaking at Alberton on Wednesday following the announcement of the club’s three-year partnership extension with MG, Wines also discussed this Friday’s match sim, the coaching succession plan, and how much he wants success in 2025.  

Wines on Friday’s match simulation 
“Yeah, I don't think you're ever going to be able to manufacture Round 1 intensity because there’s a certain excitement about going into Round 1 for premiership points, but we want to treat every one of these hit outs as proper dress rehearsal going into Round 1 to best prepare ourselves. So I think intensity wise, it's hard to sort of manufacture that in a pre-season game, but in terms of our preparation, and what we’re wanting to achieve from it, we're going there with all intentions to win the game and play really well and put what we’ve done behind us in the summer and play against some opposition.  

“I think you've got to use these opportunities. We play for four months against each other out here at Alberton, and then we get two opportunities going into Round 1 against opposition. So I don't think we'll be wasting that opportunity to test out the little changes we've made over the summer. And I'm sure the Crows will be the same.” 

Wines on the backline  
“I did mention to Aliir yesterday in one of the drills I didn't mind it down there! But look, I think we've got guys that are capable of filling those spots while the two guys are out with injuries. Training’s where we're able to experiment with moving guys around and seeing what guys are capable of, but I think we'll be able to get by in the meantime.” 

Wines on Jeremy Finlayson’s versatility 
“Yeah, certainly he might be one that can go back and support the back line back there. He's really versatile. He plays through the forward line, obviously does a lot of ruck, so I can't see why he couldn't play back but I think we've got the ability to move guys around. As I said before, this is the time you experiment. We've been doing it for the last four months, so that'll continue over the next three weeks and find what works for us going into Round 1.” 

Wines on his young midfield 
“Probably always in the moment you think it is the best and I'm no different right now, I think it's the most talented and most versatile midfield we've had. These guys can impact the game in many different ways, and probably the growth they've made over the last 18 months is the defensive side of the game. I think we've always known what they're capable of offensively, but it's the other side of the ball, being able to win it back and being able to stop the opponent from moving the ball length to length has been so impressive. So I think that's been the biggest growth, and where we're going to really go strength to strength this year.” 

Wines on how quickly the young midfield have developed 
“Not really (surprised with how quickly they’ve grown). I think there comes a point in your career, I think all midfielders come out of underage footy where they're the star and they don't really have to defend, because, you know, they can do what they want offensively. But coming to the AFL, you've got to learn it pretty quick, and it does take a couple of years, but I think the guys have been in the system long enough, and we do drive it pretty hard as a midfield, and Josh (Carr) is pretty solid on it. So I think there does come a time where you sort of grow up a little bit as a player and realise that side of the ball. And yeah, they're no different.” 

Wines on the new recruits 
“They've been excellent, particularly the changes in the forward line. Everyone we brought in there is so dynamic and adds a real weapon to our forward line. So we’ve changed the way we move, complementing their skills and athleticism. We don't have a big Charlie Dixon down there anymore, so we want to be a little bit more particular how we enter inside 50 to use those guys, but they've hit the ground running, and I couldn’t be more impressed.”  

Wines on his own role 
“(Not much has changed for me) really, I’ll continue to work in the midfield with the other guys in there. We've got a number of guys that can go through the midfield, and that presents opportunities to go forward and rest there instead of the interchange. So just being versatile to be able to rest forward and impact when I’m on-ball but look, our midfield I imagine will look pretty similar to last year.” 

Wines on having a minor heart procedure over the Christmas break 
“Yeah, I had something done pre-Christmas, so as far as I'm concerned, it's all fixed. Fortunately, it was able to be fixed with a procedure, and that's been done. So I shouldn't have a problem ever again.” 

Wines on last week’s coaching announcement 
“Yeah, I probably understood something was coming, probably just reading the media and you guys generally have your ear to the ground a bit before us. So there was something happening. It's done now, and we've got the 12 months to look forward to with Kenny, and once that's taken care of, we'll move on to Josh. But I think as far as we're concerned, it's changed nothing amongst the playing group in the here and now and we've put it behind us, and we're on to 2025. So obviously the plan is in place now for next year, but we can just try and control what we can today, and that's what we're focusing on.” 

Wines on wanting success in 2025 
“Yeah, certainly individually, I've always thought like that, not just for Kenny, but Boaky is getting older, and I don't know how many more years he can play,…maybe he can play three or four more years! But yeah, I think we've always had the motto, you get what you deserve. And unfortunately. we like to think we haven't got what we deserve at this stage, but the best thing you can do is keep turning up and keep striving to get there. And obviously it's Kenny's last crack here, and we'll be giving you everything to try win a flag, like we do every year.”