AFL coaching careers rarely come to happy endings | Graham Cornes
The result against Fremantle make little difference. Ken Hinkley is now face-to-face with the brutal destiny AFL always had in store for him, writes Graham Cornes.
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There comes a time in most AFL coaches’ careers when they lose control of their destiny.
“Most” is the appropriate word because only a few coaches, very few, get the chance to go out on their own terms.
Most are sacked - yes sacked. It’s a brutal word but even the greats with stellar, unassailable records get sacked.
Leading up to that fateful day when the axe falls, they have already surrendered the narrative.
They can’t control what is written or said about them, especially in this, the age of social media.
Their destiny is sometimes in the hands of faceless, nameless keyboard cowards or voices on talkback radio, whose words and emotions are often repeated in the mainstream media.
It shouldn’t be but that’s the way it is in this the 21st century.
If enough people say, write or post it, more start to believe it. It doesn’t take many voices to mount a malicious, constant campaign of negativity.
It’s not just sport either. Politics is worse, especially American politics.
Is Joe Biden “crooked”? Is he really beset by dementia? The allegations and ridicule were repeated often enough on social media that most believe it.
Even supporters and true believers have their faith tested.
We are witnessing it now in South Australia as Port Adelaide languish in the bottom half of the table. Ken Hinkley is under tremendous pressure. At the time of writing the result against Fremantle is not known but it matters little.
A win will be a temporary reprieve. A loss, which most have anticipated, will amplify the howls of criticism. Regardless of what he might say, the voices of the critics, both within and outside the club, continue to undermine his status and his position.
It seems he’s had to fight these unseen forces from several seasons now. Last year was the classic example. Inexplicably, as the Power continued its charge to the finals series, Hinkley was fighting the whole way against the critics who were circling like vultures waiting for the team to fail.
The fact that the team was able to finish second on the ladder at the end of the minor round only temporarily silenced them.
“We exist to win premierships.” It’s an admirable mantra and it’s been the cornerstone of ambition at Alberton, but it’s a different football world in 2025 than it was in 1990. What does it really mean when 17 other clubs have the same ambition?
Injuries as much as tactics or motivation cruelled Port’s 2024 finals campaign and once again they faltered in the preliminary final.
The haters who threatened to tear the club apart had their moment but the club did the right thing with its succession plan because he didn’t deserve to be sacked.
But it was always going to be hard if the team faltered.
Ken Hinkley won’t walk away from his obligations. Coaches don’t do that.
They have a steadfast belief that they can turn it around, regardless of the negativity swirling around them.
Nobody wants to admit it at the time but coaches are hired to be fired. Even the best ones. Nothing illustrates this more that the treatment of Hall of Fame Legend Norm Smith. He played in four premierships for Melbourne then coached the Demons between 1954 and 1967 taking them to eight grand finals for six premierships.
But he could be harsh on his players and dismissive of interfering committee members.
After round 12 in 1965 he, the reigning premiership coach, was summarily delivered a dismissal notice.
It was, at the time, football’s biggest story. He was eventually reinstated but the damage had been done.
Morale collapsed and Melbourne couldn’t win another premiership until 2021 when Simon Goodwin’s team broke the curse.
Alastair Clarkson is one of the great coaches of the 21st century. Four premierships at Hawthorn cements his status as the club’s greatest coach but it didn’t end well.
Half way through the 2021 season, after a couple of disappointing years, the club announced a “succession plan” in which Sam Mitchell would take over the role.
But it was no more than a dismissal. Two weeks later, disillusioned with the club, Clarkson left.
However it’s the coaches who can’t take their teams to the ultimate glory of a premiership who are most harshly dealt with. They are cannon fodder in clubs’ pursuit of premierships.
The new franchises can be demanding of their coaches. None was more harshly treated than Ron Alexander, the first coach of the West Coast Eagles.
The Eagles won 11 games in their first season of 1987 but it wasn’t good enough for a self-important board who sacked him and replaced him with John Todd who only lasted two years.
To give an idea of how hard-done-by Alexander was, it took the new franchise of Gold Coast 14 years before they had 11 or more wins in a season.
The new team of Fremantle took nine years to surpass Alexander’s record of 11 games in a season.
The new GWS did a little better. They equalled 11 wins in their fourth seasons.
Fortunately, however, the new GWS and Gold Coast teams and their coaches are insulated from the scathing criticism and demands of the traditional football supporters of the southern states. Their coaches are protected somewhat by the fact that Aussie rules is not main sport in those northern states.
At the Crows it hasn’t been too bad but there are always moments. Robert Shaw faced a torrid time when performances disappointed. He does not have fond memories of his time in Adelaide.
Malcolm Blight played everyone on a break. Of course he delivered those two glorious premierships, but the thing I admired most is that he left on his own terms.
Two premierships and he walked away. How cool is that?
But Gary Ayres, Neil Craig, Brenton Sanderson and Don Pyke were all shown the door. Oh, and there was that first coach who lost control of the narrative when performances didn’t live up to expectations.
Of course he believed, perhaps blindly, that the team could work its way out of its poor form. Board members thought otherwise. There was no social media then but still enough forums for criticism and ridicule.
This is where Ken Hinkley is at the moment.
Port’s “succession plan” for 2025 was fair. A coach who gets a team to preliminary final doesn’t deserve to be sacked but recent poor results have exposed it to the vitriol of the haters.
Ken can no longer control the narrative. Only victories can shift it back in his favour.
If that doesn’t happen David Koch’s vow that Hinkley will see out the year will be sorely tested.
I’m reminded of that old saying: “never trust a man who says ‘trust me’”.
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