PORT Adelaide has retained midfielder Hamish Hartlett in the club's leadership group despite the midfielder being put up for trade at the end of last season.

But Hartlett has lost the vice-captaincy, with young gun Ollie Wines taking over as the deputy to Travis Boak, who has been appointed captain for a fifth straight season.

Brad Ebert, Tom Jonas and Jackson Trengove complete the slimmed-down leadership group, while Jack Hombsch, Matthew Lobbe and Justin Westhoff have been omitted.

Trengove returns to the leadership group after not being a part of it this year.

Boak said the change of vice-captaincy was down to promoting 22-year-old Wines rather than a slight on Hartlett's leadership qualities.

"Hamish is the ultimate team man and professional, he took it really well," Boak said.

"We had a chat today and he was completely fine with it and really understood that Ollie has stepped up over the last couple of years.

"That's all credit to Hamish with everything that's happened over the off-season."

Boak retains the captaincy, having taken over from Domenic Cassisi in 2013.

Wines, who has been in the leadership group the past two years, is the obvious successor to Boak.

"It's an outstanding achievement for a quality person," Boak said of his new deputy.

"Hopefully he can take over from me one day and lead the club forward."

Wines said it was "pretty surreal" to be appointed as vice-captain and hoped one day he could take on the top job.

"If that comes down the track, I'd be happy to have a crack at it," Wines said.

"At the moment, I've been given this role, it's an enormous role for me to fulfill as it is.

"Four years ago, I came across from Victoria not knowing anything about the club and fortunately enough I've fallen in love with it."

Wines has played 84 games for the Power since being taken with the seventh overall pick in the 2012 NAB AFL Draft.

He was runner-up in the club's best and fairest last season and has emerged as a genuine star of the competition.

The Power have missed the finals in the past two seasons.

The majority of the blame for those below-par performances have fallen at the feet at the club's senior leaders.

"The leadership over the last two years has been questioned on the ground in games when we haven't been able to stand up," Boak said.

"It starts with the two of us performing when it matters and the rest of the leadership group as well and set the example for the rest of the playing group.

"We thought it was a little bit too many last (season), we had eight in the leadership group and six was the right number.

"I think it's a great fit for different types of leaders and really challenging-type players to take this group forward who set expectations really high.

"Credit to the guys who are in there, but Lobbes, Westy and Hombschy will still continue to drive the standards as well."

Port Adelaide's 2017 leadership group
Travis Boak (captain), Ollie Wines (vice-captain), Brad Ebert, Tom Jonas, Hamish Hartlett and Jackson Trengove