It wouldn't be unreasonable to think Ollie Wines is questioning his AFL future.
Wines, a veteran of 273 games since being drafted by Port with pick No.7 in the 2012 national draft, has been overlooked for selection for the Power's Round 3 home clash against the Eagles on Sunday.
The 31-year-old was on Thursday named in a 23-man extended squad, but when Friday's final teams were released, the 2021 Brownlow Medallist was absent, with Carr seemingly instead opting for former Docker and Sun Will Brodie, who will play his first game since Round 7, 2023.
That raises the question: Is Wines out of favour with Carr, or is it a case of the new coach wanting the veteran midfielder to get some miles into his legs after sitting out the first two games of the Power's campaign due to suspension (Wines was handed a three-game ban from a Round 23 incident last year with Carlton's Cooper Lord).
Whatever Carr's rationale, it seems a bizarre call to leave a player of Wines' calibre out of the team, especially given the home side will be missing 374 matches of experience between the injured trio of skipper Connor Rozee (152 games), Todd Marshall (118) and Miles Bergman (104).
Furthermore, Sam Powell-Pepper (158) is likely to be sidelined for another eight to 10 weeks after undergoing an arthroscopy in January to reduce discomfort in his knee.
I'm sure many, including the author of this piece, would have predicted Wines would be a straight swap for Rozee in the midfield.
Speaking at his weekly pre-match press conference, Carr was asked if Wines and Lachie Jones were the two obvious replacements for Rozee and Marshall (both injured in Round 2)?
"I wouldn't say they're obvious, no," Carr replied.
"We've got a bit to work through when it comes to selection and what the best team looks like for this weekend, and also what's best for the individuals, as well.
"In Ollie's case, is it best for him to come straight back into our team, or play some football [at SANFL level]?"
Carr knows his players better than I, but Wines has long been a diligent trainer, so, while he hasn't been playing competitive footy in 2026, it's hard to imagine he isn't fit enough. Wines has never been known for his speed, but his ability to get from contest to contest and run out games has been a cornerstone of his glittering career.
