Ken Hinkley accused of 'shameful' act before rivals' game-winning goal
Ken Hinkley has infuriated Port Adelaide fans after he was spotted laughing on the boundary line before Jordan Dawson's game-winning goal after the siren for the Crows on Friday night.
The Crows heaped more pressure on Hinkley's position as Port coach after snatching a 15.6 (96) to 13.14 (92) win at Adelaide Oval.
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Port, touted as a premiership fancy in 2022, are winless after three games after coughing up an 18-point lead some eight minutes into the final term.
Adelaide were two points down with just four seconds remaining when Lachlan Murphy grabbed a loose ball in the forward line and was crunched high by Port's Sam Mayes.
Murphy was assisted from the field and unable to take the free kick, with the ball given to ex-Sydney Swan Dawson.
His left-footer appeared off-line before curling to the left and through the posts to cap his best game for his new club - two goals and 25 disposals.
Some Port fans are now calling for Hinkley to be sacked in the wake of their 0-3 start, and the coach's actions immediately before Dawson's match-winner only infuriated them further.
Hinkley could be seen smiling and laughing as Dawson was lining up his shot, probably seeing the irony after Port lost out to the Crows in a bidding war for the former Swans player.
Whatever the reason for Hinkley's laughing, it certainly didn't go down well on social media.
Ken Hinkley laughing on the sideline as dawson lines up for goal not 🙄 when will our incompetent president act @kochie_online ? #AFLCrowsPower #weareportadelaide pic.twitter.com/w9bAzfcwBb
— Μέγας Αλέξανδρος (@TaArxidaMou) April 1, 2022
From rock bottom to this, Hinkley will no doubt try to spin his way out of it. Him laughing before Dawson kicked that goal will infuriate every Port supporter who sees it does he even care?
— Ash (@kingjamesgoat82) April 1, 2022
Not sure why Hinkley is laughing on the boundary ???
— Mr.G (@chucker4x4) April 1, 2022
Ken Hinkley is gonna lose his job due to 22 gutless men going out and representing the @PortAdelaideFC
Get rid of the present while your at it @kochie_online
Laughing stock of the league 😂😂😂#aflcrowsport #AFLCrowsPower— Kyal (@KyalThompson) April 1, 2022
SACK HINKLEY NOW.
Laughing after the siren. Shameful.— charlie (@evans_0934) April 1, 2022
#SackKen usually not the type of guy to want a coach sacked. But the last two weeks show how poor of a coach Hinkley is. Smiling and laughing as Dawson lined up for goal, just shows how out of touch he is.
— Nathan King (@ntkingo1989) April 1, 2022
Hope you're embarrassed at yourselves. Absolutely disgraceful.
Man I can't wait until Hinkley is sacked. We've got 2 absolute legends on this team that will retire without at least 1 premiership. https://t.co/8bQJXW0VuS— Troy Wingate (@bulls_troy) April 1, 2022
Ken Hinkley, 0-3.
Gotta be sacked soon. #AFLCrowsPower— Lachy Steele (@Lachy_Steele) April 1, 2022
Pressure mounts on Ken Hinkley after Port's 0-3 start
Dawson, after leaving the Swans, was subject of an intense bidding war during the off-season between Port and their arch rivals Adelaide.
He picked Adelaide, and the decision came back to haunt Port.
"It was ironic. Remarkable. Weird," Hinkley said.
"All the things that you would expect to say because Jordan, obviously both clubs were trying to get him to come to their club in the off-season.
"And he showed why. He's a very good player."
The Crows and Power have faced off 51 times in the 'Showdown', with Port winning 26 and Adelaide 25.
"You just know what Showdowns do," Hinkley said.
"And you just think how can they keep delivering and ending up in these epics.
"There has been a miraculous amount of close games ... the stories just keep getting written.
"But it doesn't make me feel any better."
As Crows coach Matthew Nicks said, the "footy gods looked after us" with Dawson's kick.
"I wouldn't say it was the best kick I have ever done," Dawson said.
"It came back late, which was nice.
"It wasn't going through my head to do that ... that is just how it came off."
Nicks served as an assistant coach to Hinkley at Port for eight seasons from 2011.
"I have been blessed to have seen it from both sides," Nicks said of the Showdowns.
"The majority of people in this state enjoy their footy and they're on one side or the other. And for good reason.
"Because back when the licence came up, there was a fair bit going on."
Nicks' comment referred to Port secretly going behind the backs of other SA clubs to try and enter the AFL in 1990.
with AAP
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