Port tip Wines to return to Brownlow medal best

Wines, who won the AFL's top individual gong in 2021, was hampered by injury last season when his output dropped significantly.

The star midfielder had knee surgery at the end of 2022 and didn't run for three months during the next pre-season.

"Ollie this time last year had one week of proper running leading in to these (trial) games," Carr told reporters on Wednesday.

"And we used the games as his pre-season, so he was always chasing his tail as the season started and being a little bit behind against the rest of the competition.

"That probably affected his confidence a little bit through the year.

"This year he's been able to get that pre-season work into him, build that confidence back in his body that he has got the agility to burst out of stoppage and get his strengths back into his game, which we've been able to see over the pre-season.

"Internally there's definitely a lot of, it's not hope because we're seeing it in action at training, so a lot of confidence in Ollie and in his body that he's going to be able to play really good football for us."

Wines averaged 21.72 disposals a game last year, his lowest tally since his 2013 debut campaign.

The 29-year-old was often deployed on a wing but will return to his centre-square slot in a glittering midfield which Carr rates as the league's best young on-ball brigade.

The Power midfield will revolve around new captain Connor Rozee, 24, his vice-captain Zak Butters, 23, Jason Horne-Francis, 20, Wines and renowned stopper Willem Drew, 25.

Horne-Francis, the No.1 pick at the 2021 draft, enters his third season after an initial year at North Melbourne and then joining Port.

Carr said the dynamic talent "hasn't missed a beat" while completing his first full pre-season after injury curtailed his initial two off-seasons.

"He has been able to do the all of the work that has been thrown at him," Carr said.

"What's he had, two years of AFL football now - he's still learning a lot about himself and about the game.

"So Jason is still going to have challenges like any player in the first two or three years of the way the game is played.

"But he's going well, without putting any huge expectation on him."

Port play Adelaide in a match simulation on Friday night and host Fremantle on March 1 in an official practice match.

The Power open their premiership season at home against West Coast on March 17.

Australian Associated Press