AFL 2023: Ken Hinkley faces the media in wake of Showdown concussion storm

‘I have not signed a thing, not even a footy card’ – Ken Hinkley scoffed at recent rumours around his future on Thursday. But where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Here’s the latest.

Ken Hinkley has placed the ball in Port Adelaide’s court, saying he wants to be the Power’s senior coach in 2024 and beyond.

The Power and Hinkley have long said they would wait until August to begin discussions on his future and this masthead understands Hinkley is expected to re-sign at the club in the next couple of weeks.

It was rumoured Hinkley and the Power had agreed to a new contract and the plan was for it to be announced following Saturday night’s Showdown.

But Hinkley scoffed at the suggestion on Thursday.

Ken Hinkley says he would love to remain at Port Adelaide. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos

“I have not signed a thing, not even a footy card,” Hinkley said.

“All I can give you is the certainty that I would love to be here.

“ … The club and myself will have those discussions and will move in a direction whichever way they take us.

“(But) from my personal point all I know is I would love to remain at Port Adelaide.

“That is my optimistic view around what we are able to do but those things will be discussed throughout August.”

“ … You’d be surprised to know that not all of those rumours are true.

“I don’t know how many I have read or seen this year, at Round 4 I was definitely sacked, I was gone and not going to be here and someone else was going to be coaching they have proven not to be true.

“These rumours around me being re-signed or not being re-signed I can guarantee you that they are not true.”

Hinkley was confident the talk about his future would not be any distraction to the Power as it prepares for finals.

So when will he sign a new contract? Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos

“They haven’t started in an official way, of course there have been conversations around that we are going OK, things have been all right until three weeks ago,” he said.

“Personally you sit back and think optimistically you think we have some future together but footy is a strange game.

“I wasn’t (in a rush) in February and I’m not now. The reality is that with time and common sense with an approach to this industry you get all the information and you decide whether this is what you need and this is what we are prepared to do.

“I don’t think we have been avoiding it, I think we have been pretty mature about it.”

Hinkley will be hoping the Power can snap a three-game losing streak against Geelong, despite playing at a ground his side has had a bad record at.

Charlie Dixon appeared to have pull up sore in training during some match sim, with the hulking key forward talking to a large group of Power staff including Hinkley and medical staff.

Todd Marshall didn’t get out on the training track as he deals with soreness with the key forward on the exercise bike at Alberton.

Hinkley backs Port doc despite ‘big mistake’

Port Adelaide senior coach Ken Hinkley says the Power has full faith in club doctor Mark Fisher after his “big mistake” not to subject Aliir Aliir to a SCAT5 concussion test.

The Power are awaiting the full brunt of the AFL for the decision by Dr Fisher to not subject Aliir to a SCAT5 test after his heavy collision of heads with Lachie Jones in the Showdown.

Hinkley said it had been a tough week for the club.

“Absolutely it has been a tough week for the club, we have had some issues that we would much rather not have had but they are being dealt with the best they can possibly be dealt with,” he said.

“On reflection Mark has said he should have done the full test.

“It is a big mistake, but nobody sets out to make a mistake in anything we do particularly as a doctor he has done great service for this footy club for a long time.”

Dr Fisher will travel with the Power to Geelong to take on the Cats.

Hinkley said he still had full faith in him.

Aliir Aliir on the bench after the nasty head clash in Showdown 54. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos

“I think that is a really tough question to be throwing out. Do we lack trust in Mark Fisher? No we don’t,” he said.

“He said he got it wrong and I think we should be able to look back at the runs he has on the board, he has done a lot of good things in his profession that we should give him some respect for.”

The Aliir incident has brought into focus the Power’s previous management of concussions with multiple past players voicing their criticism of the way it was handled.

The partner of Sam Mayes, who was delisted by the club last year, Cassie Burton said he was returned to the field on multiple occasions after suffering head knocks while playing for Port in the SANFL.

She also said Mayes had to rule himself out of an AFL game because of two head knocks suffered the game before and he was still dealing with the effects of concussions sustained in his career.

Aliir incident has brought into focus the Power’s previous management of concussions. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos

Hinkley said the club had been in contact with Mayes.

“As a club we have spoken to Sam and Sam has no issues with how we looked after him,” he said.

“Sam is still playing SANFL (for North Adelaide) football so from our point of view I know we have reached out to Sam (and asked) is he comfortable with how we treated him through his time (at the club) and his reply is yes.

“I think concussion is a fair issue to be making some noise around and being prepared to be safer with it, I think that is absolutely fair.

“A lot of people are trying to do what they need to do to look after themselves and I think from our point of view let’s put a line in the sand and go we just want everyone’s safety to be the thing that we look after the most and I think we do that really well.”