Calls for AFL to refund Ken Hinkley's $20,000 fine over new twist in Port and Hawthorn feud

Port Adelaide and Hawthorn's rivalry is set to be reignited at next season's AFL Gather Round, with the two clubs drawn to face off seven months after the Power ended the Hawks' unexpected finals run. In what was a back-and-forth game, Port Adelaide prevailed by three points in one of the most exciting games of the 2024 finals series.

But to many the game will be remembered for the fiery post-game confrontation between Power coach Ken Hinkley and Hawthorn captain James Sicily. The pair came to blows after Hinkley decided to taunt Jack Ginnivan after the tense win, sparking ugly scenes at Adelaide Oval and resulting in the veteran coach being retrospectively slapped with a $20,000 fine for his actions.

Hinkley apologised in his post-match press conference for making an aeroplane gesture and yelling out “You’re not flying, Jack”, in reference to Ginnivan's social media post that caused uproar in the lead-up to the game. The 21-year-old faced backlash for his cocky reply to a post from Swans star Brodie Grundy that said: "See u in 14 days", suggesting the Hawks would dispose of the Power and play Sydney in the preliminary final with ease.

After everything that went down, the rematch between the two teams was always promised to be one of the more eagerly anticipated games of 2025, but putting it on the Sunday night ensures AFL fans around Australia will tune in as the third Gather Round comes to a close. And while veteran journalist Gerard Whately commended the AFL's decision to pit the two rivals against one another in the Gather Round climax, he believes it is only right for the AFL to give Hinkley his $20,000 back as otherwise everyone using the post-game interaction as promotion is hypocritical.

"The AFL has become the WWE which is in no way a criticism. They are promoters and they have the hottest product in town," Whately said on SEN radio. "They have the capacity to handpick blockbuster cards featuring the hottest rivalries so when the opportunity came to harness bad blood and trash talk, you put them in the cage and let them rip in the biggest environment available.

"Fixturing Port Adelaide and Hawthorn the climax of Gather Round was irresistible. It was the biggest lock of the 2025 fixture list... So when it came to choosing the biggest game at the AFL's new showpiece round, it was always going to be Port Adelaide against Hawthorn as surely as Hulk Hogan and the Rock were destined to headline Wrestlemania.

"It's what we all want, it's what the WWE would do and it's precisely what they (the AFL) should be doing, giving the people what they want. But just as long as Andrew Dillon travelled to Adelaide this morning with a $20,000 cheque refunding Ken Hinkley for the ludicrous unbecoming fine the league imposed on him in December... Because it would be the worst kind of hypocrisy wouldn't it, to come down so heavily on the coach for bringing the game into serious disrepute and then using the incident to headline the biggest card of next year."

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Gather Round fixtures locked in for 2025

Whately's comments come after Dillon revealed the full fixtures for next year's Gather Round. The AFL boss said the festival of football in South Australia had developed a "unique feel of a grand final week" and will be here to stay as he revealed the nine games for the April showcase.

"Gather Round is the best of our game, a celebration of footy like no other," he said. The round will begin on Thursday night, April 10, with Adelaide hosting preliminary finalists Geelong.

After playing strugglers West Coast in Mt Barker this year, beaten grand finalists Sydney will play Collingwood in a Friday night blockbuster at the Adelaide Oval. Reigning premiers Brisbane will return to Norwood Oval for the second straight year when they clash with the Western Bulldogs.

As previously announced, the Barossa Valley will host AFL games for the first time, replacing Mt Barker in Gather Round. North Melbourne and Gold Coast will play in the inaugural match at Barossa Park, with Richmond and Fremantle to play at the venue on Sunday.

Gather Round 2025 fixtures:

Thursday, April 10

Adelaide v Geelong, Adelaide Oval

Friday, April 11

Collingwood v Sydney, Adelaide Oval

Saturday, April 12

Carlton v West Coast, Adelaide Oval

North Melbourne v Gold Coast, Barossa Park

Western Bulldogs v Brisbane, Norwood Oval

Essendon v Melbourne, Adelaide Oval

Sunday, April 13

Richmond v Fremantle, Barossa Park

St Kilda v GWS, Norwood Oval

Port Adelaide v Hawthorn, Adelaide Oval

with AAP