Ken Hinkley responds to reports linking Power footy boss Chris Davies to Carlton

Ken Hinkley and Chris Davies have both been linked to the Blues, but the Power coach is confident Port’s footy boss won’t be leaving. As for Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, that’s a different story.

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley will be surprised if football boss Chris Davies is not at the club in 2026 amid reports linking both of them with Carlton.

Hinkley, whose 13-year Power tenure will end after two more games, and Davies, who has been in his role for 11 seasons, have been touted as candidates to join ex-Port assistant Michael Voss at the Blues.

Carlton this week axed football boss Brad Lloyd for 2026.

Hinkley has insisted he is unlikely to think about his future until Christmas.

Ahead of his side’s clash with the Blues on Saturday, the 58-year-old said: “I would be surprised (if Davies was not at Alberton next season)”.

Both Davies and Hinkley have been linked to the Blues. Picture: Sarah Reed/Getty Images.

“But everybody gets linked everywhere at this time of year when there’s an opportunity – me, Chris, players.

“What I do know about footy is about 1 per cent (of rumours) come true.”

Hinkley’s pending departure has stopped him from being involved in Power list management decisions this year.

So when asked about the likelihood of South Australian St Kilda star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera coming to Port, he said: “I get to bail out of this question. History would tell you that long-term, late in the season those decisions do seem to go a certain way, but I’m not going to make any prediction on any of that because I have no information.”

Hinkley is hoping for two more performances like Saturday night’s against Fremantle.

Missing seven first-choice players, the Power took it up to the flag-contending Dockers, only to fall six points short.

The veteran coach said key additions and focusing on sticking together helped his team respond well from consecutive losses of more than 80 points.

“It was not surprising to me, as someone who’s been around a long time, to see a little drop-off at a point of the season where it looked like it was over from a (finals) point of view,” he said.

“But then you tend to get that little uptick of ‘what are we playing for right now and what are we trying to achieve?’

“I used a term with the boys that we’re going to crash the car we built.

“We wanted to play like that and it’s what we should expect from us the last couple of weeks.”

The Power will be without key forward Jack Lukosius for the remainder of the season after re-injuring his calf against Fremantle.

Hinkley said the club did not take any risk playing him despite his absence the previous match in Geelong with a calf issue.

“I spoke to Jack only yesterday and he said ‘I never felt it once until the incident’,” he said.

“If you get to three-quarter time and you’re not feeling it, it sounds like a pretty sound decision.

“Jack felt he was right to play, medically we felt he was right to play, you play for three quarters without any incident … unfortunately, he’s had one of those years where something’s going to get him.”

Originally published as Ken Hinkley responds to reports linking Power footy boss Chris Davies to Carlton