THE JOY of Port fans around Australia was palpable on Wednesday evening as the news of talented Echuca midfielder Ollie Wines extending his contract dropped.
For Wines - a dual winner of the Gavin Wanganeen Medal and one of the Power’s leading inside midfielders - the prospect of his signing was all but inevitable.
“I had my heart set for a fair while on signing with Port Adelaide,” Wines said on Thursday.
“I wanted to do the right thing by [the supporters]… it was right to sign it now.”
Over the past few weeks Port supporters have been anxiously awaiting Wines’s announcement, with some speculating he might relocate back home to Victoria.
Wines quickly put these rumours to rest with a two-year extension, tying him to Port until at least the end of season 2018.
“I wouldn’t be quite at home in Melbourne,” Wines said.
“I’m just as at home here as I would be in Melbourne. I’ve settled into this club – it holds similar values that I correlate my life with.
“The club’s done everything right by me…Everything outweighed [going back to Victoria]: the mates I’ve made, the culture…our members, our supporter base.
“This club is built around the community, which I really value.”
“It is this love for his club that shone through when questioned about his teammates and the future of Port’s position in the AFL.
“We’ve got some very loyal players - most of the boys signed up for the next four to five years, so it’s really exciting times.
“It just shows what the club is doing over here and the culture we’ve built.”
Wines believes the Power, which have experienced a number of close calls with finals glory over the past few seasons, are on the verge of future success.
“I love the talent we’ve got on our list, in my opinion it’s one of the most talented lists in the AFL.
“Going into the NAB Challenge now, we’ve got to get a few things right and then hopefully have a really solid 2016.”
Port Adelaide’s first NAB Challenge game is against the Sydney Swans on 20 February at Blacktown International Sportspark.
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