Humble and selfless with a club-first mentality - all portrayed in an articulate fashion that we don't always see from elite athletes.

Wines' response to winning the AFL's highest individual honour was testament to his upbringing with his close-knit family in Echuca.

"It's more about the way he portrays himself. I'm more proud of that than him winning the Brownlow Medal,'' Ollie's father Tony Wines said on Monday.

"People say to me that Ollie speaks so well and I put that down to his school.

"All our kids went to Goulburn Valley Grammar in Shepparton where they were made to get up and speak in front of their peers from an early age.

"That's where his confidence to speak publicly has come from.

"As a family we've always sat around the dinner table and discussed things. Maybe that had a little bit to do with the way he handles himself as well."

Read more: Wines soars to Brownlow Medal win

That family pride was on full display when Ollie was announced the Brownlow Medal winner.

Ollie's three siblings watched the count together in North Melbourne and a social media post showed their joy at their brother's success.

"Stuff like that video brings tears to my eyes,'' Tony said.

"They have been able to share the highs with Ollie. That connection as a family is very special to me."

The family support wasn't lost on Ollie, either.

During a hectic post-count schedule, he spoke to his parents Tony and Jane.

"It's been tough for them in Echuca and isolated from seeing me over in Adelaide and coming and barracking,'' Ollie said on SEN on Monday morning.

"Their support has been enormous and to see them so happy put a smile on my face last night."

Read more: From Echuca to Port Adelaide - Wines' pathway to the AFL

Read more: Ollie's AFL debut an important day for family

That parental and family support was never more evident than when Ollie played for the Bendigo Pioneers for two years in 2011 and 2012.

The commitment to travel to Bendigo to give Ollie the best possible chance of realising his AFL dream was never questioned.

"The commitment was Echuca to Shepparton, Shepparton to Bendigo and Bendigo to Echuca,'' Tony said.

"A couple of days a week we'd drive from Echuca to Shepparton to pick him up from school, then drive to Bendigo for training and then home to Echuca afterwards.

"I guess, when you live in the country that's what you do. It doesn't matter what you do, you have to travel.

"I look back now and it's been a fair journey for us. Back in the under-18s Ollie was in the AIS and that took us to Paris and London. (With Port) we've been to Shanghai two or three times.

"It's been fantastic for all of us."

Tony and Jane were confident, without being over confident, that Ollie would poll well on Sunday night.

Prior to lockdown, they went to every Port Adelaide game they could this year and they knew he'd had his best and most consistent season with the Power.

In Tony's opinion, Ollie's outstanding season was built around three key factors - a puppy, a girlfriend and a full pre-season.

"The turning point for Ollie was him getting himself a puppy at the end of last footy season,'' Tony said.

"Billy, his dog has been the making of him. He's had to realise that it's not about him anymore, he has something else he has to look after. They're so well connected.

"Then Olivia (Ollie's girlfriend) came along and that's put him in a really relaxed, happy place.

"Having a full pre-season helped him as well. A couple of the Port Adelaide people have told me on numerous occasions that they can't put enough emphasis on the benefit of completing a full pre-season.

"The previous couple of years he had interrupted pre-seasons. I think this year showed that he's reached his potential."

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At 26, Ollie still has plenty of good footy in front of him, but in the lead-up to the Brownlow Medal he was given a stark reminder of the cut-throat nature of the AFL industry.

"One of Ollie's best mates Hamish Hartlett got delisted the other day,'' Tony said.

"It shocked a few of the boys, not to mention Hamish.

"I said to Ollie that you have to realise that you're just one cog in the wheel. When your time is up, your time is up.

"You've got to take this with both hands and get the absolute maximum out of your career that you can."

What Ollie wants more than anything is a premiership.

Tony said the disappointment of last week's preliminary final loss to the Western Bulldogs still lingered.

"No-one plays team sport for individual honours. His priority this year was to win a premiership with Port Adelaide and his mates,'' he said.

"It didn't happen, so I suppose the Brownlow probably softens the blow a bit."

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