Despite the image of a renewed rift with Power president David Koch, Port Adelaide expects to lock coach Ken Hinkley to extended deal
PORT Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley’s long-term plans at the Power remain in focus despite another storm from club president David Koch
KEN Hinkley’s wish to have his contract extension at Port Adelaide unfold without public debate is lost to the fall-out of another contentious speech from club president David Koch.
But not in doubt - as reported in The Advertiser on Monday - is Hinkley’s future at Alberton nor that of his coaching staff after the major refit of the Power’s football program at the end of last season.
Port Adelaide chief executive Keith Thomas has reaffirmed his club’s backing of Hinkley’s long-game program to build an AFL premiership squad.
“Ken is absolutely committed to this group - and the program we’re on,” Thomas said on Monday. “We feel as a whole club that we perhaps missed an opportunity this year, but we’re certainly on a track that we’re confident about.”
Hinkley is on contract for next season. But Port Adelaide premiership hero Kane Cornes questions in his Advertiser column on Tuesday if Koch’s post-game speech - after the dramatic two-point loss to West Coast in extra time on Saturday night - again presents the image of a fractured partnership at Alberton.
“A divided club, particularly one with differing messages from the on-field team and the off-field leaders - is doomed to fail,” writes Cornes. “It also cannot function.”
Thomas dismisses this image of being caught between two strong-willed but divided leaders.
“Ken and David understand each other’s roles and they get on well,” he said. “I’m sure it’s not a problem.”
Koch has reaffirmed his commitment to have Hinkley be a 10-year coach at Port Adelaide. He will start his sixth season next year with a 65-50 win-loss record with three AFL top-eight finals series.
“My job is to make Ken Hinkley a 10-year coach and give him all the resources to do that,” Koch said on Monday.
Port Adelaide will until Wednesday have its coaches and players work through end-of-season reviews. But the platform for change that came from last year’s total review at Alberton is not rocked by the loss to the Eagles - and the fall-out from Koch’s speech that again has questioned the players’ commitment.
Senior assistant Matthew Nicks reaffirmed Hinkley’s view that the Power has made “significant improvement” in the past 12 months.
“We are making good progress - and I am quite excited about the group we’ve got,” Nicks said. “We need more time - and we are on the right track.
“We have a really strong coaching group,” added Nicks who works with Brendon Lade, Matthew Voss, Nathan Bassett and Aaron Greaves in the AFL panel assigned to Hinkley.
“Ken leads up really well. The respect the players have for Ken and the respect they show for the coaching group is right where it needs to be.
“The players are giving everything they’ve got - and now we have to do a little bit of work around the detail. Once we get that right, the sky is the limit then.”
Thomas expects to have Hinkley locked to a new deal - probably to the end of 2020 - without distraction from the Gold Coast, the only AFL club seeking a new coach.
“We’ll get to that pretty quickly; I’m pretty relaxed about it,” Thomas said. “We just decided at some point through the year that we’d wait until after the season, which is where we are now.
“There’s no prospect that Ken will be going anywhere. He’ll be with Port Adelaide.”
KEN HINKLEY - WHAT THEY SAY....
KEITH THOMAS
Club chief executive
“Ken is absolutely committed to this group and the program we’re on. We’ll get to that pretty quickly. I’m pretty relaxed about it.”
DAVID KOCH
Club president
“Over the summer we will talk to (Ken) about extending (his contract). That is the timetable Ken Hinkley wanted and we have such respect for Ken Hinkley, that is exactly what we’re going to do.”
MATTHEW NICKS
Senior assistant
“It’s about consistency. We have that at the moment (as coaching group). Ken has some real support behind him.”
KANE CORNES
Premiership hero
“Koch needs to play his role and publicly support the coach before it’s too late - if it’s not already.”
michelangelo.rucci@news.com.au
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