It’s not impossible to see Port Adelaide rise out of mediocrity like Richmond, says Dwayne Russell
Remember when Richmond was laughed at and fans were calling for Damien Hardwick’s head? Don’t rule out a similar turnaround from Port Adelaide this year, writes Dwayne Russell.
Expert Opinion
Don't miss out on the headlines from Expert Opinion. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Gray signs one-year contract extension
- How to get the most out of your Advertiser digital subscription
Tiger fans had their knives out after Richmond finished thirteenth in Damien Hardwick’s seventh season.
But in his eighth season as coach, Hardwick took Richmond to a drought breaking premiership and totally changed everyone’s perception of him and his club. Not only in the short term, but forever.
Ken Hinkley is about to enter his eighth season as Port Adelaide coach. If you think the comparison is ridiculous, consider this.
Before the Tigers won their first flag under Hardwick, Richmond was being laughed at as a perennial failure.
Watch every match of every round of the 2020 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE & On-Demand with KAYO. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
An influential supporter group was threatening to sweep a broom through Punt Road if their board challenge was successful.
Members were calling talkback radio wanting Hardwick; the public face of the Richmond failures; replaced.
Trailblazing female President Peggy O’Neill was under pressure to justify her position.
CEO Brendan Gale was being ridiculed for his “3-0-75” plan, which forecast three finals series, zero debt, 75,000 members, and Richmond becoming the number one Victorian club by 2020.
And the ridicule ran deeper.
Trent Cotchin was seen as an inadequate and uninspiring leader.
Dustin Martin was yet to prove himself a star.
Jack Riewoldt was literally running from the media.
And Alex Rance; who caused heart palpitations every time he attempted to hit a target by foot; was far from the icon he eventually evolved into.
I could go on, but you get my point.
No-one is laughing at Richmond now.
And it’s not ridiculous to think Port Adelaide can jump from 10th last year to win the premiership this season, and become the number one club in South Australia by doing so.
The added layer to the comparison is that while Richmond was failing, it was not only Hardwick’s reputation that was being destroyed.
Hinkley will get a very public axing if Port Adelaide miss the finals this season, and will be the front page face and scapegoat for the disaster.
But in reality, it’s not just Hinkley’s reputation and legacy at Port Adelaide that is on the line in 2020.
It’s also the reputation and legacy of CEO Keith Thomas and President David Koch.
And the eternal perception of Travis Boak, Robbie Gray, Justin Westhoff, Tom Jonas, Ollie Wines and a long list of other senior Power players is also about to be decided by what they produce in 2020.
Sure, Boak, Gray and Westhoff, and in time probably Jonas and maybe Wines will one day be inducted into Port Adelaide’s Hall of Fame. But regardless of your body of work, those Port functions can be lonely places for players who fail to win a flag.
And what hurts is not the fact that the Port fans, or the old premiership players know that you didn’t win a premiership.
What eats at you is the fact that you know.
It may sound ruthless in an 18-team competition where it’s extremely tough to win flags.
But the way we view Richmond and Hardwick, and view the Bulldogs and Luke Beveridge and Adam Simpson and the Eagles right now, is based purely on the fact they have won premierships.
The only way to truly change the national perception of Port Adelaide as a club, is to win a flag.
Finishing second doesn’t even guarantee short term respect.
Adelaide remember, finished second to Richmond in 2017.
The Crows were set to hit pay dirt, and forever change the perception of Don Pyke, Taylor Walker and co. But instead they hit an iceberg.
The odds are that Port won’t win the flag this season, but will finish just inside the eight. High enough for Keith Thomas to walk away with his head held high citing a foundation set and a promise made that 2021 will be the premiership year.
And, high enough we presume, for Hinkley to keep his job for 2021.
I say “presume”, because the board would still have the option of changing coaches anyway and paying Hinkley out for 2021 if Port fizzle out in an elimination final and a better coaching option arises.
At the very least, the Hinkley performance ultimatum has made Port Adelaide a national must watch for a change this season. Football needs drama.
And Port is desperate need of a giant dose of accountability.
The 2020 season, if it goes ahead, is about to deliver both.