AFTER overseeing the arrival of Joel Selwood at Geelong, there's a sense of déjà vu watching the emergence of Port Adelaide's Oliver Wines for coach Ken Hinkley.
An assistant coach to Mark Thompson at Kardinia Park in 2007, Hinkley coached Selwood in his rookie year and drew comparisons to what he's now witnessing in Wines.
In just his third game of AFL football and with a NAB AFL Rising Star nomination already to his name, Wines collected 25 disposals, had five clearances and kicked two goals in his side's nine-point Showdown win over Adelaide on Sunday.
His hardness at the ball is already a trademark and with the Crows hanging onto an 18-point lead in the third quarter, the 18-year-old took on arguably the League's most explosive player in Patrick Dangerfield.
Heads down and both charging into a contest, it was Dangerfield who came off second best and was forced to leave the ground with a bloodied nose.
The Power then kicked three consecutive goals to level the scores and didn't look back.
Hinkley said it was rare that a first-year player such as Wines would show such courage time and time again but he had seen it before.
"I was lucky enough to be at Geelong in 2007 when there was a young bloke coming in there that was pretty hard and is now captain of the club," Hinkley said.
"You know they're a bit rare, but Ollie works hard, he does his job, he's a first-year player who knows what he's got to do and he goes about doing it.
"Ollie's whole game was really impressive [on Sunday] as a first-year player."
Wines told AFL.com.au understanding his role in the side had been the key reason why his transition to the AFL had appeared so seamless.
In his first three games for the Power, the powerfully built midfielder has averaged almost 23 disposals, seven marks and a goal a game.
He's looked more like a player of 100 games than one still in the first month of his first season.
"I just try to play my role, I'm set a role by the coaches and everyone in the team does the same," Wines said.
"At the moment I'm just putting my head over the ball and doing what I naturally do and it's coming off."
He ranked Sunday night's comeback win his best ever at any level and admitted playing in front of a 40,000-strong crowd was "amazing".
Wines booted one of the sealing goals in the final term when Angus Monfries handballed to him unchecked in the goalsquare, allowing him to soak it up.
"This is pretty special to go three in a row and win the Showdown, the atmosphere was amazing," he said.
"I'm loving it at the moment."
