Ken Hinkley 2022: Port Adelaide coach approaches the 10-year mark that proved costly for Nathan Buckley

If Port loses to Melbourne and their season is a perilous 0-4, it will kickstart the inevitable discussion about whether Ken Hinkley should remain coach. How safe is he?

Malcolm Blight says there’s no such thing as a 10-year itch for clubs and coaches.

But that might not stop the bosses at Port Adelaide feeling a touch uncomfortable if Port loses to Melbourne and their season is a perilous 0-4.

The spotlight is already on coach Ken Hinkley and another defeat will kickstart the inevitable and ridiculous discussion about whether Hinkley should remain coach.

In football, an itch can quickly become an irresistible scratch.

This week, Port president David Koch and club chief executive Matthew Richardson gave their public support to Hinkley, while experienced ruckman Scott Lycett said: “We’ve got Ken’s back.”

Stream every match of every round of the 2022 Toyota AFL Premiership Season Live & Ad-Break Free In-Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >

Normally, that sort of response is mid-season fodder and doesn’t seep out after round 3 — but they can be a weird mob the South Australian football fraternity.

Hinkley was the calm sheriff amid the mini-crisis on Wednesday — if you can call it that.

John Wayne would be proud.

“I am the least surprised person at Port Adelaide right now at the criticism because I have been in footy forever,’’ he said of the growing noise of discontent among Power fans.

Blight has been around for footy forever, too.

He’s been sacked — a couple of times — and has probably been consulted on the sackings of others. So the noise around Hinkley is not a surprise, nor is it real. Not yet anyway.

Ken Hinkley takes Port Adelaide training before their round 4 clash with Melbourne.

The notion a club could get a bit itchy and scratchy when a coach nears the 10-year career mark without a premiership is neither here nor there, according to Blight.

And he believes it was a coincidence Nathan Buckley was sacked in his 10th year and the Giants are treading water with Leon Cameron in his ninth year.

Then, of course, there was Brad Scott (10 years at North Melbourne) and Ross Lyon (eight years at Fremantle).

“There’s no such thing,” Blight said of a 10-year itch.

“It’s just a quote that someone suggested, and it’s probably not a bad thing, but it’s not fact.’’

The fact is, Blight said, that only when someone on the board suggests change, and then that person sells it to another person, and so on, and so on, that there will be change.

“It’s not what everyone else thinks, it’s what that group of six, eight or 10 people think, and when they convince each other that’s right, they will do it. Full stop.

“But if there’s a strong group within that group which still believe, it won’t happen.”

The noise grows around Hinkley because the environment surrounding him and Port Adelaide has changed dramatically, the belief being the premiership window has probably closed within four games – last year’s final and three rounds this year.

Four games ago, Hinkley was coaching a team favourite to advance into the grand final. But they didn’t win. They were walloped.

This season, they were beaten narrowly by Brisbane, Hawthorn at home and Adelaide in the Showdown.

They play Melbourne Thursday night and Carlton away in Round 5.

“Nought and five … you can kiss that year goodbye,” Blight said.

“I’m a great believer in history and it says you’re not going to recover from that.”

Hinkley is contracted until the end of the 2023 season and Blight is not even contemplating the thought of Hinkley not coaching until then.

Ken Hinkley in the three-quarter time huddle against Adelaide in round 3.

He argues Hinkley has had only one losing season in his career (when a side loses more games than it wins).

“If you were sitting on a board now, you’d say that was a pretty good business,’’ Blight said.

He stressed Port was playing without its two key bookends in Charlie Dixon and Aliir Aliir, as well as missing champion small forward Robbie Gray.

“Soldier in, soldier out is the greatest lot of hogwash in football,” Blight said.

“The absurdity of that statement drives me silly because, you know why, if they were any good they’d be in the team.”

The noise within the playing group was strong, Blight said, and the noise outside the playing group was from frustrated fans.

“They’ve come from the floor this mob with this bloke as coach and OK, there’s not a lifetime guarantee for anyone, but they’ve hit a hurdle (right now),’’ he said.

“The past two years, they’ve led in the Melbourne Cup and just got nutted.

“If I could’ve taken anything in footy, I’d take top four any time of the day and he’s done it repeatedly.

“It’s hard to do. Is Richmond going to be in the top four? They had their four/five years (and) now gone. Hawthorn? Had their four or five years and gone.

“It’s difficult to stay there because of the rules, the salary cap, the draft, a bit of luck, blokes get old, good players go … there’s a host of reasons why and that’s what the AFL wants.

“Has Port Adelaide missed their turn? Gee, they may have.

“I tell you, it does get interesting if you follow a bad year with another bad year. It’s not advisable.”

Originally published as Ken Hinkley 2022: Port Adelaide coach approaches the 10-year mark that proved costly for Nathan Buckley