Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley deserves appreciation after turning Power into premiership contender
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley needs more kudos. He saved his job in 2020 and has got the Power in pole position for a shot at a second premiership in the club’s 150th year.
Kane Cornes
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Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has every right to feel annoyed - for himself and more so for his AFL club.
Hinkley came to Alberton at the end of the darkest hours of 2012 determined to prove he was the “right man standing” for a traditional football club many others were refusing to embrace while it was a “basket case” with its future in doubt.
That basket case is now leading the AFL competition and has done so since the start of the 2020 home-and-away season.
Hinkley started this season as the coach under the most pressure. His contract became void if Port Adelaide failed to qualify for the top-eight.
That contentious deal - struck at the end of 2017 when Gold Coast courted its former assistant coach and Port Adelaide had bombed out of a home elimination final to West Coast - is now a lock for 2021.
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For all this, Hinkley knows not everyone is pulling out of their wardrobes the ‘In Ken We Trust’ T-shirts that were so popular in 2014.
There is still a residual of passionate Port Adelaide fans carrying the doubts built from their frustration this time last year when the inconsistent side failed to qualify for finals for the second consecutive season.
Even club legend Warren Tredrea, urged the board to make a courageous call at the end of last season to tear up Hinkley’s contract.
Hinkley bravely ignored the outside noise to continue favouring youth over experience so that the club would have a bright future beyond his tenure.
He traded out key position player Dougal Howard and drafted 18-year-old powerhouse forward-in-the-making Mitch Georgiades.
This followed trading out stars Chad Wingard to Hawthorn and Jared Polec to North Melbourne in 2018.
Player retention at Alberton under Hinkley remains the envy of the AFL competition.
This is a testament to the culture the coach has created at Alberton.
Key forward Charlie Dixon’s decision to ignore more attractive offers to sign a contract extension at Port Adelaide highlights the strength of this culture.
Hinkley has given eight players their AFL starts at Port Adelaide in the past two seasons.
He is the undisputed coach of the year, his record of taking Port Adelaide to the top of the ladder would have 10 other clubs wishing he was coaching their teams.
There is one game to play with a big status symbol. A win against fellow finalist Collingwood at the Gabba on Monday night would give Port Adelaide the McClelland Trophy as the minor premiers. It’s 16 years since this honour rested at Alberton.
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For all this, no one is giving Hinkley or his club any credit. You can sense this is starting to irritate Hinkley.
On Saturday, after the 50-point win against Essendon at Adelaide Oval, Hinkley made the point saying: “It’s a great performance by the team. I mean the boys, they deserve it. They’ve been there all year.
“We’ve sat on top of the ladder since Round 1. It’s almost like we’ve sat fifth, but we’ve sat on top.”
When questioned about his lean finals run recently, Hinkley also was quick to remind AFL360 host Mark Robinson that Port Adelaide was beaten after the siren, in double extra-time, by West Coast in the elimination final of 2017.
It might have been different had Dixon not kicked 3.6. And there is still that dubious free kick handed to Eagles midfielder Luke Shuey to close the game in West Coast’s favour.
The punters do not believe in Port Adelaide. The betting agencies measure this with Port Adelaide behind Richmond, Geelong and Brisbane in the odds for the premiership.
Port Adelaide has its weaknesses, as was highlighted in the 10 goal loss to Geelong in Round 12.
The undersized defence, one-paced midfield and heavy reliance on Dixon are valid concerns.
But the most important and simplest statistics on any premiership contender is how heavily a team scores and how stingy it is in defence.
The Power is No.2 for attack, No.1 for defence in a season with a balanced draw with each team playing its 17 rivals once.
It is no surprise that Hinkley is showing annoyance - and is bewildered - as to why his team lacks respect.
The only response that changes this is a deep run in the finals and an unlikely premiership that no one would have seen coming when this bizarre season began in March.
WINNERS
NO MORE MR. NICE GUY
Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks is growing into the role nicely. He wasn’t impressed with his charges exchanging friendly words with former teammate Eddie Betts prior to Sunday’s win against Carlton. His new, hardened approach is getting instant results.
PERFECT TEAMMATE
There have been 191 players represent Port Adelaide in the AFL era and inside the dressing rooms Justin Westhoff might just be the most popular. The 2018 best and fairest never wasted his words and always prioritised the team over himself. Congratulations on a remarkable career, hopefully the final chapter is yet to be written.
OWN TERMS
Not many players bow out when there is still plenty of football left in the tank. Carlton defender Kade Simpson was able to manage this when he surprisingly retired this week. Tough, consistent, durable and reliable are all adjectives that aptly sum up his 18-year career.
TALIA’S DOUBLE TON
All Australian defender Daniel Talia plays his 200th game on Saturday and you could count on two hands the amount of times he has been beaten in his career. There is a case to be made that he is the most consistent Adelaide player in the clubs history.
SILKS SIGNATURE
Hawthorn champion Shaun Burgoyne deserves to get to the magical 400-game milestone – the club’s decision to extend his career into a 20th season was the correct one.
LOSERS
SHOLL OUTRAGE
The AFL Rising Star selectors have always considered cumulative form which explains why Collingwood’s Issac Quaynor received this week’s vote over Adelaide’s Lachlan Sholl. Sholl will get nominated either this week or early into next season, the outrage over the snub was over the top.
WASTED BRYCE
In his last AFL game against Carlton on Sunday Bryce Gibbs showed he’s still a very capable AFL player. Yet Adelaide will write him a $600,000 cheque and get absolutely nothing in return next season, how costly for the Crows.
CROUCH AUCTION
Garry Winter, manager of Adelaide midfielder Brad Crouch, is holding a silent auction for AFL clubs eager to sign his client. Winter has informed Crouch’s suiters they need to get their offers in by the end of this week. Money and not future success appear to be the only priority for Crouch and Winter.
GOODBYE GALLUCCI
It’s likely Adelaide forward Jordan Gallucci has played his last game for the Crows. Gallucci was selected at pick 15 in the 2016 draft ahead of Port Adelaide’s Sam Powell-Pepper and Todd Marshall, Western Bulldogs ruckman Tim English, Brisbane star Jarrod Berry and Sydney gun Will Hayward.
SLIPPERY GABBA
Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury bemoaned the slippery conditions at the Gabba after the Magpies’ victory against Gold Coast on Monday. The decision to play a night grand final at that venue in October was foolish.