AFL 2023: Fox Footy’s David King says it’s a big first six weeks for Ken Hinkley in 2023
Nathan Buckley knows what it’s like to be a coach under pressure. And he’s backing in Ken Hinkley to get Port Adelaide back on track and save his job.
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley has backed Port Adelaide senior coach Ken Hinkley to stay at the helm beyond this season ahead of a vital 2023 for the Power.
The out-of-contract Hinkley comes into his 11th season in charge looking to mastermind a climb back up the ladder by the Power after a disappointing 2022.
Buckley, who played a season for Port Adelaide in the SANFL winning a premiership and Magarey Medal in 1992, backed Hinkley and the Power to have a much better 2023.
“Port have been big on the recruiting side of things in the off-season and it seems that Kenny is under a bit of pressure,” he said at the Fox Footy launch.
“But I think they are pretty well set to have a better run with injury and start the season stronger, they should get past the 10 wins (and) I think they should make finals.
“He has been around long enough and he has been in high-pressure situations long enough to let that go.
“His chances of success in his role are not going to be predicated from what people say from the outside, it will be on his connections with his players on the inside.
“I have a lot of respect for the way he goes about it. He is honest, he wears his heart on his sleeve.
“I think he is well respected by his players and staff, and that is all that matters.
“I think they will give a much better account this year, last year was a tough one on the injury front and they put themselves in a hole that they found it hard to come back from.”
Hinkley has revealed that he and the Power won’t make any decision on his future until August.
Buckley backed Hinkley to continue in his role past this season, if he still felt he was the man for the job.
“In the end people also have to realise that the coach has a decision to make themselves,” he said.
“If he feels like he is the man for the job and he has the energy and the impetus and he feels like there are prospects going forward then he will put his hand up.
“But we sort of think it is something to take away from someone. It is still a choice for him to keep doing what he is doing.”
King: Port must release handbrake, top-four Crows prediction
Port Adelaide have been urged to release the handbrake and go with a “fast brand of footy” to start the 2023 season as dual North Melbourne premiership player David King says the first six weeks will be vital for the Power and Ken Hinkley.
And King has declared Adelaide “can surprise a few” this season with the Fox Footy commentator and pundit changing his view about whether Matthew Nicks can surprise the rebuild at West Lakes.
Many are expecting the Power to return to finals after a disappointing 2022 campaign.
Speaking to News Corp at Fox Footy’s season launch in Melbourne King said more was needed than just that in 2023, with Hinkley out of contract at the end of the season, and the Power needed to take it up to the big teams in the competition.
“You can set pass marks as much as you like but when you have been there 10 years and you haven’t made a grand final I don’t care what anyone says it is crunch time,” he said.
“The start to the year is brutal, that round 1 game against Brisbane they have to start beating like types.
“They were 2-9 against top eight teams last year that is not going to get it done. They have to be 6-5 or 7-4 against top eight teams this year otherwise it will be a year of the same and I fear that trauma will come at the end of the year.
“It is a big first six weeks for Ken.”
After the Lions at Adelaide Oval, the Power’s first home game to start the season since 2018, they take on Collingwood at the MCG, the Crows in the Showdown, Sydney at the SCG, the Western Bulldogs in Adelaide and West Coast at home in their first six games of the season.
The Swans made the grand final, the Pies the preliminary final and the Western Bulldogs were knocked out at the elimination final stage.
King said he would like to see the Power play a style of footy similar to what Hinkley first implemented when he arrived at Alberton.
“They have the list, they aren’t short on talent,” he said.
“When Ken first arrived at Port Adelaide they played a fast brand of footy, they called it the double green light momentum shifting and we go, go, go.
“It was really exciting. They have chopped and changed over the past four or five years whether they want to defend a bit more or go a bit wider.
“Those days have gone, they have to open up the valves and see what it is under the bonnet.
“(Connor) Rozee the one everyone talks about, (Jason) Horne-Francis is a potential top liner so what they get out of those two will be important.
“(Zak) Butters has scope, (Xavier) Duursma has scope to become a really consistent high level AFL players. They haven’t quite been there yet but they have to maximise guys like (Charlie) Dixon, (Travis) Boak and (Tom) Jonas while they still have them.
“Because if the wheel turns and it starts to turn the other way then your list can look pretty shallow pretty quickly.”
Over at the Crows, King was bullish about Nicks’ side this season – especially because of one young player in particular.
“I think the Adelaide Crows will surprise a few with how competitive they are going to be, how good they are going to be,” he said.
“I know all the talk is going to be about (Izak) Rankine in the middle but from what I hear of pre-season training (Jake) Soligo is the one who can take some giant strides in that midfield.
“You have no problems in that midfield with the fundamentals of the game, ball movement and defending ball movement. I think Nicks has done an outstanding job there.
“I can see it clicking quite quickly for the Adelaide Crows.”
In July King said he believed there was “no way” Nicks could survive the rebuild process at the Crows because of the quality of their list.
Ahead of the 2023 season he said he changed his view, but the Crows needed to support Nicks.
“I always worry about coaches in the rebuild phase because I’ve always said that they don’t survive,” he said.
“But I think Matty is a bit different, and the club needs to support him through this phase.
“The list is two to three years away from being a top four list in my opinion but I think they have a coach who can actually deliver a premiership.”
Ambitious Crows set goal to end five-year finals wait
If Adelaide is being undersold by critics ahead of the new season, Crows players are paying little attention, nor do they care.
“We don’t take too much notice,” defender Nick Murray told News Corp.
“We don’t worry about too much outside noise, we worry about what we want to do as a football team.
“We don’t care too much about that, we just know what we need to get done.”
Few supporters, let alone critics, would be picking Adelaide to finish in the top eight this season.
But that is the goal for the Crows, who have not played finals since 2017.
Coming off a 14th-placed finish, they have been impressive in their two pre-season wins in Perth and go into the new campaign with plenty of confidence.
“Every year you’re hoping to play finals so that’s our goal for this year,” Murray said.
“To get two good wins over two very handy opposition teams, it’s a good way to start the season and hopefully we can keep improving on that.
“All the boys are pretty happy and looking forward to the season ahead.”
Adelaide backed up last week’s 11-point, four-quarter win over Fremantle by smashing West Coast by 59 points at Lathlain on Friday.
Murray said the team’s form had not exceeded its expectations.
“We’ve had a big pre-season and everyone’s played together now for a few years,” he said.
“But it’s only the pre-season, we’re not going to get too ahead of ourselves.”
The Crows’ round 1 match is against GWS in Sydney on March 19.
More Coverage
Originally published as AFL 2023: Fox Footy’s David King says it’s a big first six weeks for Ken Hinkley in 2023
Jamarra passes first big Dogs test – so, what’s next?
For the first time in months, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan trained with teammates at the Bulldogs main training session. How did it go? What did he do? What’s to come? Get the inside word here.
Crows are the real deal – but can they go all the way in 2025?
Forget the heartbreaking loss to Hawthorn, Adelaide is the real deal this season and can enter its mid-season break knowing it is right in the premiership race, writes Andrew Capel.