Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley declares his want for dumped ruckman Patrick Ryder to stay with Power
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley says he will “not entertain” questions on All-Australian ruckman Patrick Ryder’s future at Alberton after dumping the 2017 club champion this week.
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Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley wants out-of-contract ruckman Patrick Ryder at Alberton next season, even with the 2017 All-Australian out of the Power line-up this weekend.
“Paddy is out of form … but he will not be thrown out of the footy club,” Hinkley said of Ryder, one of the four players dropped in the Power’s selection shake-up for Saturday’s clash with top-ranked Geelong at Adelaide Oval.
As speculation rises on Ryder and Port Adelaide being at an impasse on the terms of a new contract — in particular with tenure as 31-year-old Ryder is said to want at least two seasons — Hinkley declared he would not “entertain” questions on the 2017 club champion’s future.
“Paddy is part of our furniture,” Hinkley said of the 238-game Ryder.
Ryder’s exit leaves West Coast premiership ruckman Scott Lycett to work as the No. 1 ruckman. Key defender Dougal Howard will be the back-up ruckman after Hinkley also cut 2018 club champion Justin Westhoff, who has been a makeshift ruckman in recent seasons.
Westhoff’s 135-game run of consecutive games ends with his axing that has paved the way for Hinkley to recall co-captain Ollie Wines, former vice-captain Brad Ebert, young defender Joel Garner and key forward Charlie Dixon, who is to play his first game since serious leg injuries in August.
Hinkley remains confident he has picked the “best (22) players to give us the best chance to win”.
But he described his decision to discard Ryder and Westhoff — and even Powell-Pepper — as the toughest in his 149 games as the Power coach.
“And it is based on form, performance, output … and you don’t make those decisions this week lightly,” Hinkley said.
“But I am really confident Westy and Paddy will fight their way back.”
michelangelo.rucci@news.com.au
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