Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley under huge pressure after belting

The pressure on Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has reached unbearable levels after Saturday’s thrashing against the Lions.

Ken Hinkley is under huge pressure after the thrashing against the Lions. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

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The hot seat Ken Hinkley currently occupies at the Port Adelaide Football Club has surely moved well beyond boiling point.

In fact, the seat has probably melted down to a lava-esque puddle after the Power’s 79-point mauling against the Lions on what was meant to be a day of celebration for the proud South Australian outfit.

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With the club commemorating the 20-year anniversary of its 2004 premiership and taking to the field donning the strip from that era, fans would’ve preferred the players and Hinkley be wearing the famous prison bars they so badly want to be their regular strip.

Words like “humiliating” and “untenable” were quickly showering down on Hinkley and the coach was leading nightly news bulletins in Adelaide after the inept 23.14 (152) to 10.13 (73) result that at one stage featured 12 consecutive Brisbane goals.

There were reports the 32,862-strong crowd was down to around 18,000 by the final whistle, with thousands talking with their feet by leaving well before full-time.

Those that did stick around took the opportunity to regularly boo Hinkley when he was shown on the big screen and again at the final siren.

Ken Hinkley is under huge pressure after the thrashing against the Lions. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

He was asked about the reaction from the fans in the post-match fallout.

“It’s not fun, it’s not what I enjoy, it’s just the reality of my job,” Hinkley said.

“(But) if you can’t cope with it, you probably shouldn’t be in my job.

“I can cope with it, I don’t enjoy it, it’s not my favourite time. It’s just part of what goes with this job, it’s always been the same.

“The disappointment comes out in many different ways, but no one’s more disappointed than us inside the football club. No one.

“But I get the reaction … I’ve been around a long time.”

That much is certainly true.

Hinkley has spent an eternity as the Power head coach, having been appointed way back in 2013.

In his 12 seasons at the helm, the 57-year-old has guided Port to six finals series and holds an impressive 156-106 win-loss record.

But he is yet to lead the team to a grand final, with home preliminary final defeats in 2020 and 2021 the closest he has come.

There was nowhere to hide for Hinkley and his staff. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

Hinkley has been under pressure to keep his job on countless occasions, but has always received the backing of president David Koch and the Port board.

He is currently contracted through the end of the 2025 season, but the odds on him seeing out that deal are surely lengthening by the game.

With Port premiership winner Josh Carr being primed as his replacement, the question now remains, will the Power flinch and pull the trigger early on that succession plan?

The Lions lashing was a third straight loss for Port Adelaide and leaves them with an 8-6 record and clinging to a spot in the top eight.

They face the lowly Saints in Melbourne next week before clashes with the Bulldogs, the Suns on the Gold Coast and Richmond.

Ever the battler, Hinkley was talking tough when speaking to the media.

“I’m going to turn up to work and work really hard with all of my staff and players to make sure that we can turn this around really quickly,” he vowed.

“Where we are right now, we’ve got an opportunity to go back to work straight away and change some of the narrative that we’ve earned.”

If it was up to the fans, however, there was no doubt what move they believe Koch should make after the embarrassing performance on Saturday afternoon, with 7NEWS in South Australia reporting from outside the stadium.

“This has been the scene on the foot bridge since three quarter-time,” reporter Tom Johnson said, surrounded by fans fleeing the stadium.

“Fans have had enough, they’re getting walloped by Brisbane and the calls to sack the coach are becoming deafening.”

The network also asked fans to have their say.

“I’m not a Ken hater but something’s got to go. Who’s it going to be, the team or Ken? Get rid of Ken,” one said.

“No endeavour, just nothing, and we’re getting pumped by a hundred points. So yeah it is time for a change,” offered another.

The day started with celebration and optimism from Port fans. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

“Not happy, Kenny’s time is done,” another declared.

“(Ken’s) going to have a sleepless night tonight I reckon,” suggested a fourth.

There was also plenty of vitriol on social media.

Port fan Simon Cantley wrote: “(Port CEO) Matthew Richardson, David Koch, (footy manager) Chris Davies and especially Ken Hinkley, thank you for (ruining) our club. You have enabled a level of mediocrity and comfortability that is the complete anthesis of what Port Adelaide stands for. You are not Port Adelaide, nor have ever been Port Adelaide.”

South Australian Kostas Mantis wrote: “Holly Ransom as a board member of PAFC, please stand up with your colleagues & listen to your members. Ken Hinkley should be sacked tonight and then the rest of the boys club can follow suit! Please, it is untenable.”

An account called Jacob PAFC wrote simply: “If Ken doesn’t get sacked after this loss, it’ll be unbelievable.”

Brisbane players celebrate one of their 23 goals for the day. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

While many were desperate to boot Hinkley as far from Alberton Oval as possible, the coach did receive the backing of Saturday’s counterpart Chris Fagan from the Lions.

Asked how much sympathy he had for Hinkley amid the booing, Fagan replied: “An enormous amount.

“I’ve got a bit of an idea of Ken Hinkley’s win-loss record as a coach, it’s an extraordinary record that he’s got.

“If there’s one disappointment about winning today’s game, it’s the fact he got booed off the ground. I don’t like that.

“Coaching’s a hard caper. He would’ve put everything into trying to win today’s game.

“His record at this club’s extraordinary and he shouldn’t be judged on one performance.”

Most of the judgement rests on his 12 years in charge, however, rather than one game and it remains to be seen whether the board finally decides to act.

“It would be relatively unprecedented to sack a coach with his side still inside the top eight,” reporter Josh Money said on 7NEWS in Adelaide.

“But the discontent among the fans is at an all-time high.

“It was an embarrassing, listless performance on a day that was supposed to be all about celebrating the club’s best moment in the AFL.

“They would say their complaints are 12 years in the making.

“Hinkley still has a year and a half to run on his cotnract, but the mood here today proves that unless there’s a quick turnaround, time may not be on his side.”