8 months ago
74 Leading AFL writer Caroline Wilson has confirmed that Port Adelaide person resigned manager Ken Hinkley connected a 2 twelvemonth deal, which the nine volition denote "as aboriginal as" Tuesday.
Hinkley's caput was connected the chopping artifact astatine the commencement of 2023, aft Port missed the finals the twelvemonth before, but helium took his broadside connected a 13-game triumph streak this play and locked successful their apical 4 spot connected Sunday.
"This is an bonzer show by Ken Hinkley, who waited truthful agelong to get a elder job," Wilson said connected Nine's Footy Classified connected Monday night.
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"146 of those wins, 5 finals wins ... 3 preliminary finals. He's got the 4th highest progressive coaching grounds of each the 18 presently coaching.
"This happens disconnected the backmost of an bonzer year."
Port Adelaide champion Kane Cornes besides praised Port Adelaide's decision, spearheaded by president David Koch.
"I emotion it. I didn't deliberation this was going to beryllium the case. I thought helium was nether bonzer pressure," Cornes said connected Footy Classified.
"What helium said successful the disconnected season, helium was going to situation himself with radical that helium respects, they're going to play a accelerated attacking marque of shot ... and he's going to bask it.
"He did that nether important challenges, nether fan, nether media backlash, nether the unit of injuries this twelvemonth to cardinal players."
Cornes believes the Power person made the close telephone astatine the close time, to make stableness for the nine heading into the finals.
"He's coaching arsenic good arsenic helium ever has, truthful to person this announcement, present aft they've conscionable confirmed a apical 4 presumption is the close call."
It comes aft the Power enactment themselves backmost connected the winners database with a 51-point triumph implicit GWS, with Hinkley assured it is lone the "starting point" of their finals run.
The triumph was highlighted by a 34 disposal show from Brownlow smokey Zak Butters astatine the pointy extremity of the location and distant season.
The Power had been nether occurrence aft dropping down from 2nd to 4th connected the ladder aft their nonaccomplishment to Geelong successful circular 21, but determination into 3rd after beating the Giants.
Port's mediate men enactment connected a show, with Dan Houston collecting 30 touches, portion Brownlow medallist Ollie Wines and Connor Rozee had 29 apiece. Meanwhile, young prima Jason Horne-Francis notched up 27 disposals.
Wilson confirmed Hinkley's winning cognition has been good received by those who decided connected his coaching future.
"As helium sits present today, Ken Hinkley, I'm told, is beauteous blessed with 2 years if helium tin get the occupation done and get that elusive premiership, it would beryllium wonderful," she said.
Hinkley made six changes to the squad that mislaid to the Cats past week and admitted the past 4 weeks haven't been casual unit wise.
"We've been successful a challenging spot for a fig of reasons," Hinkley said.
"I'd similar not to marque each those changes ... but sometimes you can't power it.
"It's (the list) got immoderate character, it's got immoderate extent astir it, it's got immoderate talent, there's nary uncertainty astir it."
The manager was wide with his side's intentions for 2023, vowing to permission nary chromatic unturned successful their quest to present big a location final.
"This twelvemonth we acceptable retired to marque finals, past we acceptable retired to decorativeness arsenic precocious arsenic we can. As of tonight, we suffice apical four," Hinkley said.
"We're surely not finished, we privation to support going and decorativeness arsenic precocious arsenic we can.
"We're not satisfied with conscionable being successful the apical four, our situation present is to support going."
The much-needed win, which locks successful the Power's treble accidental successful the finals, travel days aft adjunct manager Josh Carr confirmed helium isn't going anywhere, pulling retired of the contention for Richmond's elder coaching position.
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Wilson confirmed that the Power's coaching unit convinced Carr to transportation connected astatine Alberton, with the imaginable of a succession program successful spot erstwhile Hinkley's clip is up.
"Josh Carr was a large contender determination and I deliberation Ken Hinkley and Chris Davies spoke to him and convinced him to enactment astatine Port," Wilson said.
Port Adelaide adjacent question to Optus Stadium to look Fremantle, past big Richmond astatine location successful circular 24.
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