Under-pressure Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has called on the narrative around his finals failures to “stop”, but understands why he cops the brunt of criticism.
Hinkley, in his 12th season at the helm, has experienced another post-season flop after the Power fell to a six-goal loss in Friday night’s lopsided preliminary final.
It’s the fourth time Port have tasted the bitter disappointment of preliminary final losses under Hinkley after defeats in 2014, 2020 and 2021.
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Hinkley now has won just six finals from 15 attempts.
Rubbing more salt into the wound, Hinkley holds the unwanted record as the VFL/AFL coach with most games coached without reaching a grand final.
Well aware he is the common denominator in all four results, Port’s longest-serving coach shrugged off concern he was solely to blame for their unenviable finals record and said “we should stop that story”.
“I don’t know whether it’s doubt, but you have reflection pieces (after preliminary final losses),” Hinkley said, when asked about his ability to end the dispiriting record.
“I’m not silly enough not to acknowledge that I have been the constant, along with some other people at the footy club.
“But it’s not a one person (thing), we should stop that story a little bit.
“This is a whole-of-club thing that goes on, it’s not one person responsible.
“If we had got through tonight, it wouldn’t have been me, and if we didn’t get through tonight, it’d be us. That’s the language we like to use at Port.
“I do understand that, as the head coach, you cop the brunt of that and I’m okay with copping the brunt.
“But the reality is, you can’t do this without a full club. You just can’t.”
Hinkley has long been criticised by Power fans despite his overall 60 per cent win-loss record.
After the demoralising loss to Geelong in the qualifying final, fans plastered “Hinkley OUT” signs all over Power headquarters.
Hinkley has learnt to cope with it.
“I’ve had great support from family particularly, but also from my footy club, and we stick at it,” he said.
“We understand the storylines we go with my position, and it’s part of the job. I’m OK with that, I can deal with that.
“I don’t necessarily enjoy it, but the reality is it’s part of what I do — and if I can’t cope, I shouldn’t be here.”
After staving off Hawthorn in a pressure-packed three-point semi-final win last weekend, the Power struggled to bring the heat against a full-throttle Sydney unit led by superstar Isaac Heeney.
“We came with the same intent and wanted the same intent but pressure comes only when you can keep the game in a bit more of a disputed situation,” Hinkley said.
“For Sydney’s polish with the ball on the turnovers that we gave, that makes it really, really hard to get pressure on that ball because they were clean.
“When they took delivery of the ball back, they executed swiftly.”
Semi-final hero Jase Burgoyne kicked the opening goal to give Port the best possible start, but they trailed at every change before getting steamrolled by 36 points.
“Right now it’s really disappointing, because we came up here with optimism around trying to qualify for grand final,” Hinkley said.
“We know how hard that is to do. We, as a footy club, more than any know how hard it is to try and get through that final step.
“I thought, as a club, we stuck together pretty well through the whole year, and we gave ourselves a chance again right to this point of the season.”
HINKLEY’S PRELIMINARY FINAL FAILURES
2014: Hawthorn 15.7 (97) bt Port 13.16 (94) at the MCG
2020: Richmond 6.10 (46) bt Port 6.4 (40) at Adelaide Oval
2021: Western Bulldogs 17.14 (116) bt Port 6.9 (45) at Adelaide Oval
2024: Sydney 14.11 (95) bt Port 8.11 (59) at the SCG
– With AAP