PORT Adelaide's vice-captain Brad Ebert barely hesitates when asked which Power midfielder impresses him the most this season – Ollie Wines.
 
As teammate Chad Wingard did last season, Wines has avoided a 'second-year slump' and taken his game to further heights.
 
He's averaged 25 disposals a game in 2014, up from 19 a game in his debut season and is also his club's most prolific contested possession winner (12 a game).
 
Only skipper Travis Boak averages more clearances and handballs for the Power; at just 19 years of age, Wines is already one of the side's most important extractors.
 
Remarkably, he's also yet to miss a match since debuting in round one last year.
 
Ebert said Wines' strength inside the contest was apparent the minute he arrived at Alberton and he had continued to develop that side of his game this season.
 
But what Ebert had really noticed was his outside game – his run and spread from stoppage.
 
"Ollie Wines has been fantastic in his second year, to be able to back up what he did in his first year and improve on it," Ebert told AFL.com.au.
 
"A lot of people talk about second-year blues and that sort of thing but he's been playing fantastic.
 
"He's been able to work on that spread from stoppage which is something that a lot of guys get as their careers go on, but is so valuable especially for guys of his size.
 
"He built his game as a kid on winning contested ball and winning that clearance, nowadays he's really able to get out and be the first one either offensively or defensively to shutdown an option or get the ball himself.
 
"It's pretty awesome to have a big-bodied mid performing in that area."
 
Ebert said he had also taken significant notice of fringe player Ben Newton.
 
Newton made his AFL debut in round seven and managed a second game in round 12 against St Kilda.
 
The performance of the Power's senior side has made it tough for the 21-year-old to cement his place in the side, but to his credit he's performed consistently at SANFL.
 
Ebert said his performances in 2014 were reward for the work he put in during the club's gruelling pre-season.
 
"I've really liked the work of Ben Newton, he's one guy who over his time probably hasn't been able to play well consistently enough but this year he's been dominating the SANFL," he said.
 
"A lot of that came from his work in the pre-season, he was always striving to do that little bit extra and go that little bit further."