Port’s Wines remorseful for virus breach

Banned Port Adelaide vice-captain Ollie Wines is remorseful but has no excuses for breaking AFL coronavirus protocols, Power coach Ken Hinkley says.

Wines and Essendon’s Brandon Zerk-Thatcher have been suspended for one match for separate breaches of the league’s protocols.

Wines gave an interview to a television network outside his house, breaching rules which dictate interviews must be done at a player’s club or via video links.

“We understand the protocols, Ollie understands it,” Hinkley told reporters on Friday.

“We as a football club make no excuses.

“It’s a mistake and it’s an unfortunate mistake made by Ollie and clearly made by one of the broadcast partners too which is a little strange.”

Wines was “incredibly remorseful” about his interview with the AFL’s host broadcaster, the Seven Network, on Wednesday night, Hinkley said.

“He is disappointed in what happened, he knows that he should never have let it happen,” he said.

“Ollie knows he should have been better. Ollie was incredibly remorseful about what he thought was a simple slip-up.

“But he knew the rules, he just didn’t follow through the way he should have.”

Wines will miss Port’s grudge match against arch rivals Adelaide on Saturday night but Hinkley sidestepped whether the one-game ban was harsh.

“It’s not for me to decide what is fair and unfair,” he said.

“We all understand the protocols, we all want footy back and we know we have to do above and beyond to make sure we get footy back – we get that, Ollie gets that.”

Essendon’s Zerk-Thatcher will miss his club’s Sunday’s fixture against Sydney Swans.

The 21-year-old self-reported to the AFL and the Bombers after having a friend attend his house, breaching a protocol stipulating players can only have essential visitors.

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