mmg.com.au

Echuca’s Ollie Wines enjoyed a spectacular year in 2012, which was capped off when the first-round Port Adelaide draftee became the Senior Sportstar of the Year winner at Moama Bowling Club on Monday night.

Ollie, who was unable to attend the evening after making his debut for the Power at the NAB Cup on Sunday, said he was ‘‘very honoured’’ to win the award.

‘‘It is great to be recognised by the community, by Campaspe and the Echuca region, to be recognised as Sportstar of the Year,’’ he said.

‘‘I am very honoured to win it and have that title.’’

Ollie, 18, thought he had enjoyed a good 2012.

‘‘It was probably my best of year of football and I needed it to be because it was my draft year,’’ Ollie said.

‘‘I am very proud of my achievements and I think I really achieved my potential in the last year.’’

His selection in the draft in November was the culmination of a superb year of football in which he was often recognised individually within a team sport.

Wines was named in the midfield of the All Australian team at the national under 18 football championships and finished third in the Larke medal, for the best player of the championships.

He captained TAC Cup side Bendigo Pioneers and was accepted into the AIS-AFL Academy, which allowed him to travel to Europe with 30 of the best 17-year-old footballers in the country.

Ollie was also named in the TAC Cup team of the year in the midfield and finished fifth in the Morrish medal.

He said being selected at the draft was a dream come true.

‘‘It was my childhood dream to one day make it on to an AFL list and I have been lucky enough to receive that opportunity,’’ Wines said.

‘‘To hear my name called out at the draft...it was the pinnacle of a lot of hard work over the past five or six years.’’

Ollie, who was yesterday travelling with Port Adelaide in the Yorke Peninsula as part of the club’s community camp, said at times he found it difficult adjusting to his new lifestyle.

‘‘I think the longer I’ve been here, the better and more confident I feel,’’ he said.

‘‘But I am really enjoying it and loving the change and loving my lifestyle.’’

Tony Wines, who accepted the award on his son’s behalf, said Ollie’s character was a key reason behind his success.

‘‘He is very community minded and he wanted to be part of the Port Adelaide Football Club community, which is why he couldn’t be here,’’ Tony said.

‘‘I’m stoked for him,’’ his mum Jane added.

‘‘To get this from the community, because he is a community person and that’s why he’s not here, because he is at a community camp.’’

Ollie thanked his parents, who he said had ‘‘put in an enormous amount of work and travel for the past few years’’, while siblings Sophie, Maddie and younger brother Harry have also ‘‘made a lot of sacrifices and do a lot of things they may not have wanted to do’’.

The winner also mentioned his grandfather Leo and two other members of the community, in AFL Victoria regional manager Trevor Mellington and Simon Eishold, who had been a mentor for him, as well as the Echuca Junior Football Club.

‘‘I’d just like to thank Travelscene Echuca, the Moama Bowling Club and the Riverine Herald for supporting the award,’’ Ollie said.

‘‘Going forward I hope that they will keep contributing to local sports people because it really makes it worthwhile for us.’’