Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley leaves Magpies issue to his bosses

POWER coach Ken Hinkley wants his wish for an AFL reserves team in the SANFL next year to retain the club's traditional links.

POWER coach Ken Hinkley wants his wish for an AFL reserves team in the SANFL next year to maintain the Port Adelaide Football Club's traditional link to the local community on the LeFevre Peninsula.

TEAMS: RIGHT MATCH-UPS THE KEY FOR POWER

But that bond - reflected in loyalty to the "Magpies" in the SANFL for the past century - will be challenged by the latest reserves model sent to the Port board by the SANFL league directors.

Critically, the plan has Port give away its SANFL recruiting zone on the LeFevre and Eyre peninsulas and discard its under-age teams from 2015.

Port next year can put all of its Power-listed players in the Magpies' SANFL league team. At the same time it can keep the Magpies reserves, under-age teams and recruiting zone for the 2014 SANFL season.

EBERT: WE'VE COME TOO FAR NOT TO GIVE IT A BIG SHAKE

In 2015, the Port Adelaide Football Club would comprise a senior AFL team, an AFL reserves side in the place of the Magpies league and a Power academy team (with players aged 22 and under) in the SANFL reserves competition.

Port's members will be briefed and consulted at a club meeting on Monday evening. The Port directors will vote on Tuesday.

GINEVER: BOAK'S LEADERSHIP CRUCIAL TO RESURGENCE

"We want to remain strong with the community," said Hinkley yesterday. "What (chief executive) Keith Thomas is trying to do is to get that to happen for our football club and our Port Adelaide people.

"We want to maintain as much of Port Adelaide as possible."

###