AFL Finals: Paul Roos says Ken Hinkley will be the one to decide whether he continues at Port

The pressure couldn’t be higher on Ken Hinkley and his team ahead of their date with the Hawks. But win or lose, one footy great thinks the coach will get to decide his future.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 05: Ken Hinkley, Senior Coach of the Power during the national anthem during the 2024 AFL Second Qualifying Final match between the Port Adelaide Power and the Geelong Cats at Adelaide Oval on September 05, 2024 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Premiership coach Paul Roos says he believes it will be Ken Hinkley “who makes the decision” about whether he continues as Port Adelaide senior coach in 2025 should the Power exit this year’s finals series in straight-sets.

After being humiliated by Geelong in the qualifying final the Power now take on the red-hot Hawthorn in a do-or-die semi final at Adelaide Oval on Friday night.

The 84-point loss to the Cats last week, the Power’s fourth straight loss in finals with three of them at Adelaide Oval and ended up being blowouts, has heaped the pressure back on Hinkley.

He is contracted until the end of next year, but it is widely considered that a second straight-sets exit in a row could result in the Power making a call on his 12-year stint as senior coach at Alberton.

Hinkley’s side are under fire after their loss to the Cats. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

Roos, who guided Sydney to its drought-breaking 2005 premiership, said he believed it was actually Hinkley’s call to make.

“I think it is more Ken, I read an article about that. I think it is more Ken,” he said on ABC AFL Daily.

“Does he say to the club “I think I have got the best out” and there is nothing wrong with that. We have seen plenty of great coaches who have been unable to win premierships and they just haven’t been able to get there for whatever reason.

“I think it’s Ken’s decision to make for mine, because the danger is for Port they are the ones to replace Ken and as critical as I seem of him today it is hard to get you a coach that gets you to the top four regularly.

“So there are two different thought processes, there’s Ken thinking “have I got the best out of this team should I walk away?” And then there is Port thinking if we let him walk away what is the replacement, who are we going to get to replace him?”

It is widely considered among rival clubs that assistant and 2004 premiership player Josh Carr is the heir apparent to take over at the Power should Port decide to change coaches.

When the pressure was last at fever pitch for Hinkley, after he was booed by Power fans in the heavy loss to Brisbane, rival clubs said their assistants would be wary of taking part in any process run by Port for a new coach as they believed Carr was a lock to be the next senior coach at Alberton.

Roos said what Hinkley would chose to do should the Power go down on Friday night would be fascinating to watch.

“It is a really interesting dynamic, I think if Port lose then it is Ken Hinkley who makes the decision,” he said.

“I don’t know what decision he will make but I think he will be seriously thinking about talking to the club and saying “what do you think, do you think it is the right time for me to go?” and just having an amicable conversation.”