By Peter Ryan
In some ways, it’s unfair that the wisdom of coaching succession plans depend on the success of the successor.
Because, in theory, such plans are sound.
The latest to be subjected to as much analysis as a by-election result is Port Adelaide’s decision to confirm 2025 will be Ken Hinkley’s last season as coach.
After four preliminary finals in 12 seasons, Hinkley has decided to hand over to Josh Carr, the premiership player signing a three-year deal to be the senior coach from 2026.
Hinkley had fought to keep his job many times before, but this is the end at Port Adelaide for the Camperdown kid. Whether Tasmania comes calling remains to be seen.
“There comes a time when you just know,” Hinkley said.
What no one can know is whether the succession plan will work.
They can only succeed if both coaches are enthusiastic about the plan and if the new coach is a good enough candidate to win the job in their own right if the search had been thrown open for all to apply.
Collingwood’s handover from Mick Malthouse to Nathan Buckley was destined to fail once it became clear the senior coach was not ready to leave, while doubts always surrounded Essendon’s transition from John Worsfold to Ben Rutten because it wasn’t clear that Rutten was the best man for the job.
Alastair Clarkson bailed to give Sam Mitchell clear air in what was a winning move for the Hawks, while Simon Goodwin was a genuine apprentice to Paul Roos during Melbourne’s rebuild. In moving from Roos to John Longmire and now to Dean Cox, the Swans showed that the other critical element to a successful handover is a strong connection between the club’s CEO, football manager and its board.
Ken Hinkley’s time in the spotlight at Port Adelaide is coming to an end.Credit: Getty Images
Port Adelaide’s decision to move from Hinkley to Carr can be successful as Hinkley is on board with the decision.
They also have a robust football program, managed by Chris Davies, who is smart and clear-eyed, and well-supported by CEO Matt Richardson.
That is a good start.
Hinkley knew this would be his last contract. As he said on Wednesday, the decision he needed to make was whether he could finish this contract with the energy and competitiveness he has shown in his previous 13 years as Port Adelaide coach.
Josh Carr (left) will take over from Ken Hinkley at Port after the 2025 season.Credit: AFL Photos
He satisfied himself that he could, and now he has one last shot at a flag with a group of players who adore him. And he would be mad to walk away from the final year of a contract he agreed to just two seasons ago.
Hinkley may have given fleeting consideration to following John Longmire’s lead and moving to the backbench. If he did, the thought was never serious enough for him to give it away now, after another preliminary final finish, while he has a bunch of players threatening to deliver a flag and a contract to honour.
Appointing Carr as his successor is the other component that bears scrutiny, but Port has not simply asked the next bloke in the office to take the chair.
At various points throughout Hinkley’s tenure they have had to consider the market and whether there might be a better option than the incumbent.
Damien Hardwick was a free agent when Hinkley was re-signed in 2023 while others such as Mitchell, Clarkson, Nathan Buckley and Brad Scott have been available at various times recently.
But they stuck with Hinkley.
Competition sources with knowledge of the work done in choosing the coach for 2026 and beyond said the Power’s football subcommittee used rigorous processes before deciding Carr was the right man to lead them for what they hope will be the next 10 years.
Having decided they wanted the best untried coach to fill Hinkley’s shoes – rather than one of the proven premiership coaches who might be on the market next year, such as Luke Beveridge, Longmire or Simon Goodwin – Carr was a sound choice.
Dean Cox has replaced John Longmire as Sydney coach.Credit: Getty Images
For the Power, he compares favourably to other highly rated untried candidates, such as Daniel Giansiracusa, Ashley Hansen, Troy Chaplin or Steven King, given that he knows their program, their players and Hinkley’s legacy.
That legacy is strong internally, with Carr’s biggest challenge likely to be replacing someone as revered by the playing group as Hinkley. His connection with the team reduces the risk inherent in a transition that players will gravitate away from the incumbent to the successor in the handover season.
Hinkley’s down to earth, loyal and positive, and by the end of last year had justifiably stopped caring too much about the judgment of outsiders. His emotion may have led to rollercoaster performances, but he has been an excellent coach.
The decision shouldn’t rule out the club’s chance to win the flag in 2025. It might make them more dangerous, freeing up the players who have lived with the saga surrounding his tenure for at least three seasons now. Whatever the case, they will, like 10 other contenders, need some luck as well as good decision-making to make the grand final.
Port captain Connor Rozee (right) embraces coach Ken Hinkley, who is much admired by his players. Credit: Getty Images
The decision will also give Port Adelaide supporters a chance to get behind a man who remade the club to become, as he said, “a good footy club”, rather than criticise his every move out of frustration.
And with luck, it will give Hinkley a chance to enjoy the job before he moves into another phase, more likely in a less-scrutinised role as a football manager or assistant coach after so long under the microscope in a two-team town.
Football sources say Hinkley’s love for south-east Queensland is strong, but there is also a team looming on the horizon in Tasmania who are sure to give him a call to see whether he might be interested in helping a start-up team lift off.
The Carr car will be running smoothly at Port Adelaide in 2026, unlike the stalled one Hinkley had to jump-start when he hopped in the driver’s seat back in 2013.
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