AFL 2023: Ken Hinkley signs two-year contract extension at Port Adelaide

Ken Hinkley won’t put any deadlines on his future as coach of the Power, denying any notion of a succession plan at Port Adelaide after re-signing for two more years.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – Advertiser Photos AUGUST 15, 2023: AFL Port Adelaide Coach Ken Hinkley at Alberton Oval announcing his contract re-signing. Picture: Emma Brasier

Newly re-signed Port Adelaide senior coach Ken Hinkley says he won’t put any “deadlines” on his time at the Power after his stint at Alberton was extended by two-years.

From his position being labelled as “untenable” by the club’s 2004 premiership captain Warren Tredrea earlier this year, Hinkley had his tenure at the Power extended by two-years on Tuesday.

After the 1-2 start to the season the Power won 13-straight games and on Sunday locked up a top-four spot – its third in four years – making a new contract for Hinkley a formality.

He said it didn’t take long at all for him to negotiate a new contract and conceded it was nice for it to be all locked away.

“I can’t sit there and say that it hasn’t been on my mind at times this year, it has and typically as a football coach you have that pressure more often than not in your career,” he said.

Ken Hinkley is not going anywhere. Picture: Emma Brasier

“(It) didn’t take long at all, the reality was that Chris (Davies) and myself had a conversation around the support the club has given me and whether I still had the passion for the job.

“It made it pretty simple, Chris and I have an unbelievable relationship, we work so well together and once the question was do you want to, do they need me to.

“I think ultimately I am, I am very comfortable with that. I should touch on that it is not just my decision this is my families decision.

“I have a great wife Donna who supports me with everything I need to be able to do this job. It’s a tough, tough job but it is one that I still love and I have great support at home and in two years who knows.

“We don’t put deadlines on it, we will see where it ends up but two more years I’m just grateful for the opportunity.”

While it was widely speculated that a succession plan could be in place where highly regarded assistant and former player Josh Carr becomes the Power’s next coach, in the wake of him withdrawing from the race for the Richmond job, Hinkley said there was no such thing.

“We are just grateful that Josh has recommitted and wants to be part of our football club, he said.

“Josh is a really impressive young coach who at some stage will coach himself and as I’ve said I would love nothing more for it to be at Port Adelaide.

“But there is no succession plan in place, there is no end date, there is basically a commitment from Josh to help us build as with the rest of our coaches.

“The thought Josh is going to want or need a succession plan you don’t know Josh well.

“He just moved a young family interstate last year, four children, I can understand why he is happy to be here.”

Hinkley said there is no succession plan in place. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

The Power, who this week broke its all-time membership tally with 64,817 signed up, had long said that Hinkley’s future beyond 2023 would be decided in August.

While there are still finals to come, Hinkley said that shouldn’t take away from the body of work the Power have been able to build.

“I don’t think one or two results in this industry should be the reason you make a change or don’t make a change, ultimately it is a body of work you look at and reflect on and decide where we are at and where we are going,” he said.

“You look at the club this weekend we had the third youngest list on the field, you have to look at us differently than you would have five or six years ago.

“This is a different list and a different team and hopefully the boys can get the success.”

Originally published as AFL 2023: Ken Hinkley signs two-year contract extension at Port Adelaide