Eddie McGuire's shock claim about Ken Hinkley incident as real reason for $20,000 fine revealed
New details have emerged about why the AFL imposed such a heavy sanction.
Eddie McGuire has made sensational claims the AFL would have been happy about the Ken Hinkley incident because it's taken the spotlight off other controversies from the weekend's games. The AFL has slapped Port Adelaide with a $20,000 fine after Hinkley sledged Jack Ginnivan on the field after the Power ended Hawthorn's season.
Hinkley told Ginnivan "you're not flying" after the young Hawk poked the bear by telling Sydney Swans player Brodie Grundy "see you in 14 days". Port admitted the comment was used as motivation to beat Hawthorn, and Hinkley was happy to let Ginnivan know it backfired.
Fans and pundits have slammed the AFL's decision fine Hinkley $20,000, particularly in light of the fact it was the same amount Alastair Clarkson received for a homophobic slur and Jason McCartney for making contact with Tom Papley. And discussing the situation on Monday, former Collingwood president McGuire suggested the AFL would have actually been thankful because it became a bigger talking point than other controversies.
McGuire said the AFL should have banned Hinkley for the preliminary final against Sydney if it was "fair dinkum" about imposing a meaningful sanction, bit it didn't because it was secretly rubbing its hands together. McGuire said the Hinkley incident meant the AFL didn't have to address the controversial Welcome to Country that occurred before the GWS-Brisbane game, or a number of on-field incidents.
"You know what they would have done at AFL House, they would have gone 'You beauty'," McGuire said on the 'Eddie and Jimmy' podcast. "We're not going to have too much of the carry on about the Welcome to Country in Sydney, we don't want to have that one going into the last two weeks of the footy.
"We're not going to have (commentary on) the fact that we had players in two of the biggest games of the season ... trying to headbutt the ground to induce a free kick. That was disgraceful behaviour and those decisions had massive impacts on the outcomes of teams going through to the finals."
Real reason Ken Hinkley was hit with $20,000 fine
Meanwhile, leading journalist Caroline Wilson has revealed the AFL fined Hinkley $20,000 because Port showed a lack of contrition about the incident. While many have suggested Hinkley didn't swear, Wilson also revealed he called Ginnivan a "cheeky little f***er".
"They think that not only did Ken not seem sorry enough, but in the negotiations across the weekend ... it was also the Port hierarchy," Wilson said on 'Footy Classified' on Channel 9. "I gather it was Matthew Richardson, the CEO of Port Adelaide, who was dealing with this ... the feeling was that in all the negotiation and in all the back and forward of the weekend, Port was not contrite."
RELATED:
Dustin Martin cops backlash over 'ordinary look' amid $300,000 detail
Leigh Matthews calls out AFL farce after illegal act 'completely ignored'
Wilson also said the punishment was so heavy because of the McCartney incident that occurred just a week prior. "Hinkley's behaviour...was punished harshly to warn other coaches that the league won't stand for abuse, especially not from leaders," she said. "I think the AFL is internally saying they came down harder on Ken Hinkley for several reasons. Because it was off the back of McCartney and this is becoming a habit among coaches and officials and they need to nail it."
It's also been revealed Hinkley has offered to pay the fine personally, despite the fact the AFL have ordered Port to pay it. A Power fan had started an online fundraiser to help the club pay the fine on Monday, but it was later taken down.
