The Ken Hinkley-Josh Carr succession plan: All the latest from Port Adelaide as announcement looms

Ken Hinkley and Port Adelaide’s top brass have remained quiet — at least publicly — after news broke of a impending coaching succession plan. MATT TURNER has the latest.

Port Adelaide’s leaders are remaining quiet on the club’s coaching succession plan.

Two days after this masthead revealed the Power was heading towards announcing Josh Carr as coach-in-waiting, Port officials had yet to comment publicly on the matter and it was not mentioned during a club-run interview with incumbent Ken Hinkley and captain Connor Rozee at Alberton Oval on Saturday.

Port is expected to unveil the handover plan within days, potentially in the lead-up to its season launch and hall of fame night on Friday.

Hinkley and Carr are understood to have been aligned for 18 months on a succession, which appears likely to happen at the end of 2025.

It was left to Port Adelaide midfielder Jackson Mead to face questions on the topic at the club’s family day, when he described the story as “a bit of a surprise”.

Josh Carr during training at Alberton. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

But Mead did not think he or other players would seek clarity about what was to come.

“Ken’s our coach at the time, he’s obviously really excited and optimistic about the year ahead, as the players are as well,” Mead said.

“We’ve got full faith in the coaches … to best prepare us for this year.

“I hadn’t heard of any report coming into the week.

“Nothing got mentioned throughout the week.”

While Port has long stressed it has no formal handover plan, it has constantly spruiked Carr’s credentials as a future senior coach.

Mead said the club’s coaching situation was not raised in contract talks when he re-signed in July until the end of 2026.

“It didn’t even cross my mind or anyone’s mind,” he said.

Hinkley, the longest-serving coach in Power history, has been at the helm since the end of 2012.

Carr has been Port’s midfield coach and senior assistant since returning from Fremantle at the end of 2022.

Mead endorsed Carr as a potential senior coach, saying he was great with the players.

“His knowledge around stoppage and game plan, I think he’s one of the best at what he does,” he said.

Port Adelaide would be following the likes of Sydney, Collingwood, Melbourne and Hawthorn in unveiling a succession plan.

The Swans have had two handovers in the past 15 years – from Paul Roos to John Longmire ahead of the 2011 season, then Longmire to senior assistant Dean Cox in November.

Originally published as The Ken Hinkley-Josh Carr succession plan: All the latest from Port Adelaide as announcement looms