AFL Port Adelaide news: Stay up to date with everything happening at the Power
The departure clock is certainly ticking down for Port Adelaide great Robbie Gray, but when and where that will be remains up in the air for one of the club’s most revered players.
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The future of one of Port Adelaide’s greatest ever footballers, Robbie Gray, remains up in the air heading into the last four minor rounds.
Four-time All-Australian Gray and the Power are holding off making a call about whether he plays next season, as the 34-year-old approaches the end of his contract.
Discussions over whether the three-time best-and-fairest winner will continue into a 16th season will happen in the next few weeks before a mutual decision is made.
Gray, who ranks fourth on the Power’s games list with 268 and second all-time for goals with 364, is understood to be undecided.
His season has been hampered by a right knee issue from the opening round loss to Brisbane at the Gabba.
The classy forward/midfielder has played 13 of the Power’s 18 matches this year, averaging 14.5 disposals and 4.7 score involvements per 100 minutes — down from 18 and 5.8 across the 2020-21 campaigns.
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No timeline has been set for a call on his future and the club will give him as much time as he needs.
Making one before round 23 looms, so that if this is his farewell campaign, the five-time Showdown medallist’s can potentially be celebrated in a home match against Adelaide.
Gray, a humble champion who had long avoided the limelight, would unlikely want the fanfare of a retirement announcement leading into that match.
But if he was bowing out, the club would undoubtedly be determined to send off an all-time great and one of the most clutch players of this generation in the appropriate fashion.
That still might be 12 months away.
Gray could have one more season in him then be the difference in a final if he was able to get his body right and the Power was able to bounce back into contention.
The upcoming pre-season will be a key consideration on his future.
There is some belief that although the Victorian is far from his best because of his knee troubles, he can get back to form via a strong pre-season.
Gray had one last summer before injuring his hamstring in a practice game against the Crows then hurting his knee in round 1, setting him back.
He missed three matches and barely trained from March to June, before taking a two-week spell to build his workload then returning to the side.
Gray was influential in his first three matches back, spending more time on the ball.
But he struggled in last Saturday’s loss to Geelong, including getting caught holding the footy due to a lack of awareness, coughing it up with a blind overhead handball and being far more untidy than usual.
If Gray was to retire, it would make it three successive years the Power had lost a club great following Justin Westhoff (2020), Brad Ebert (2020) and Hamish Hartlett (2021).
Gray and the Power will be hoping to boost the club’s very slim finals hopes with a victory over Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday.
Hinkley: Weak fans crossed the line
- Jason Phelan
Under-fire Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has lashed out at vandals who defaced a club sign calling for his sacking, labelling it a weak act that crossed the line.
With the Power’s finals chances all but dashed by last weekend’s loss to Geelong, a disgruntled fan or fans plastered a “Sack Hinkley” poster over a sign on busy Port Rd near the club’s Alberton headquarters on Monday morning.
When asked about the vandalism on Thursday, Hinkley made light of the issue before taking a more serious tone.
“I come the other way, so I didn’t see anything,” Hinkley quipped with a wry smile.
“But it worries me not one bit.
“I think it’s a really poor thing to do, I think it’s a really weak thing to do.
“It doesn’t worry me. I move on with my day, I move on with my week, and I prepare my team the best I possibly can.
“Every football club has great passion in it, but there is a line.”
Speculation about Hinkley’s future has mounted as Port’s mid-season rally after an 0-5 start petered out.
Three losses from the past four matches have relegated the Power’s finals bid to the realms of mathematical possibility with an 8-10 record with four rounds remaining.
However, Hinkley isn’t yet ready to concede defeat.
“The mood of the group is that we’re still in the fight, we’re still in the challenge and we’re going to keep chasing,” he said.
“I don’t think anyone would expect me to stand here and say that we’re not chasing as hard as we’ve ever chased.
“We’re going to keep going.
“We’ll stay in it as long as we possibly can.”
Hinkley, who is contracted to continue his tenure into an 11th season next year, has received the backing of players and chairman David Koch alike following the stunning 12-point loss to the Cats at Adelaide Oval.
The 55-year-old remains steadfast in his belief that he is the right man for the job and doesn’t see the need to seek assurances about his future from club powerbrokers.
“I’ve got a contract for next year … I don’t need to have a conversation,” he said.
“It’d be different if I was out of contract, but we’re all on the same page here. There’s not one little bit of divide in what we’re trying to achieve.”
Port will make at least two changes for Saturday’s clash against Collingwood at the MCG, with Dan Houston (concussion) and Riley Bonner (Covid protocols) out.
The encounter takes on extra significance for the Power, with highly respected duo Tom Jonas and Ollie Wines to play their 200th AFL matches.
“They’re just great people,” Hinkley said.
“It’s such a great milestone and they’re such great mates. They’re captain and vice-captain, they’ve done a lot of things at this footy club for a long time and it’s a remarkable performance that they play their 150th together and their 200th together.
“It’s a pretty special day for them.”
Hinkley confirmed first-choice ruckman Scott Lycett’s season was likely over, with the star veteran undergoing antibiotic treatment to fight an infection in the shoulder he had surgery on following Round 4.
Port star weighs in on Hinkley’s future at Power
- Matt Turner
Port Adelaide vice-captain Ollie Wines says the squad has full faith in coach Ken Hinkley and believes the club can bounce back into contention next season.
With the Power almost certainly out of this year’s finals picture, Hinkley’s future remains a hot topic amid senior coaching vacancies at GWS and North Melbourne.
Port Adelaide came into the season off the back of a preliminary final and aiming for a premiership, but slumped to an 8-10 record after Saturday’s 12-point home loss to Geelong.
The Power’s draw does not get any easier, as it prepares to face a Collingwood side on a nine-game winning streak at the MCG on Saturday.
It will be a milestone for Wines, who is playing his 200th match - all of which have come during Hinkley’s tenure.
Wines said he had a great bond with Hinkley and confidence in the club’s list.
“In terms of the playing group, we’ve got full faith in Ken, all the coaches and everyone at the club,” Wines said.
“The belief in our group has never faltered throughout the year, despite when we were 0-5.
“At this stage, it hasn’t panned out fully to what we expected but our belief in Ken and everyone at the footy club is still there.”
Wines did not think the club over-estimated its squad this season.
“We’ve got a good, young developing list with a lot of growth left and still have some older guys in really good form,” he said.
“We’ve got a similar 22 to the one that’s had the most wins the previous two seasons.
“I don’t think we over-estimated anything, it’s just execution in games (that had cost the team).”
Some Power supporters have been very vocal in their view that the club needs to part ways with Hinkley, who has been in the role for 10 years and is contracted for next season, to climb the ladder.
Wines said the players loved the passion of the fans but they were not influenced much by their thoughts on the matter.
“We understand that supporters are emotional and they want the best for the team and are always going to have their opinion,” he said.
As for whether Wines, set to turn 28 in October, thought time was running out to win a flag before his career was over, he said: “I feel like time is ticking for any football club, whatever position they’re in”.
“We haven’t met our expectations for the season,” he said.
“I think every club has expectations to play finals and win a flag every year.
“We’re as hungry to do that as ever.
“We keep putting ourselves in a position where we’re around the mark but this year we’ve fallen short.”
Wines said the club needed to put itself in a better position to start next season well.
He will share the milestone on Saturday with Power captain and close friend Tom Jonas, who is also playing his 200th game.
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