NO stranger to awards, Port Adelaide Football Club star and 2021 Brownlow Medalist Ollie Wines has taken out the Bendigo Sports Star Award for September.<\/p>\n
Born in Echuca, Wines studied at Goulburn Valley Grammar School and played in the TAC Cup, now the NAB League, for the Bendigo Pioneers before beidng drafted by Power in 2012.<\/p>\n
Wines said its \u201csuper special\u201d to have had the support of his home town over the course of his career.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe local community, whether its wider Bendigo or particularly Echuca it\u2019s always been big to me and big in my journey,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be recognised there is pretty special. I\u2019ve still got a lot of ties back home obviously and I\u2019m looking forward to, in the future, getting home and showing the Brownlow off and letting all the kids that aspire to do hat to have a look and see that anything\u2019s possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
The midfielder said Echuca was \u201cabuzz\u201d at the height of the AFL finals series, with hometown heroes Jack Viney and Clayton Oliver winning the premiership with the Melbourne Demons.<\/p>\n
He said for kids to see people from their regional towns be successful is a big motivator.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been in their position at times and in the country we perhaps think we don\u2019t have as many opportunities as the kids down in the city, and to be honest that\u2019s probably fair at times and with the travel and everything we\u2019ve got to contend with it\u2019s certainly a lot harder,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think for these kids that are aspiring, not only in football but any sport or profession, to see people being successful, it\u2019s only going to continue to harvest that belief and drive kids.\u201d<\/p>\n
His main message for boys and girls aspiring to make it to the highest level? \u201cHave a goal and stick to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to take things too seriously at a young age, enjoy your sport, or your study or whatever you\u2019re doing,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s always opportunities coming from where we are and nothing\u2019s too big to dream of.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NO stranger to awards, Port Adelaide Football Club star and 2021 Brownlow Medalist Ollie Wines has taken out the Bendigo Sports Star Award for September. Born in Echuca, Wines studied at Goulburn Valley Grammar School and played in the TAC Cup, now the NAB League, for the Bendigo Pioneers before beidng drafted by Power in […]<\/p>\n