Ken Hinkley hits back after scathing swipe from AFL great Warren Tredrea
The Port Adelaide coach copped a brutal truth bomb from the club great after his side's lacklustre start to the AFL season.
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has brushed off stinging criticism from Warren Tredrea after the Power great described his future at the club as "untenable". Tredrea - who is Port's only premiership captain and the AFL club's all-time leading goalkicker - turned up the heat on the under-fire coach this week, following a 1-2 start to the new season.
Hinkley's side missed out on a finals berth last season, having been beaten in consecutive AFL preliminary finals in 2020 and 2021. An underwhelming start to 2023 has also seen them concede 39 goals in consecutive defeats to Collingwood and arch-rivals Adelaide, prompting Tredrea's explosive outburst.
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"There is an element of fans' disconnect with their board and with their coach," Tredrea told the Big Deal podcast on Monday. "And I just look where Ken Hinkley sits. He has been there for 10 years, he is contracted until the end of the year.
"It looks, albeit in round three, it just looks untenable. I get it is early in the season. But it is, 'You know what, he is not going to be there in 2024'. I can't see it. If he does, well then I will be the first to say 'well done'. But right now it just looks untenable."
Hinkley is off-contract at the end of the season, which is his 11th at the helm of Port. Power assistant coach Josh Carr has been touted as a ready-made replacement for Hinkley if and when the veteran coach does move on, but the 56-year-old insists he won't be distracted by the constant contract talk or criticism from Tredrea and others in the media.
"I appreciate opinions, that's all I can do with them - they are opinions and I respect some opinions and I don't respect all opinions," Hinkley told reporters on Friday. "But the reality is I have got a job to do right now.
"We have just played round three. The competition is so on and so alive I can't get distracted by that. The club has been incredibly strong with the way we have handled this situation."
Hinkley and club hierarchy have put off any contract talks until at least August, although Port president David Koch and senior players - including Brownlow medallist Ollie Wines - have publicly shown their support for the coach. Hinkley fully understands that his future is an inevitable topic of discussion for Tredrea and others in the media.
"We all get that this is going to be topical through the season," Hinkley added. "And I am more than comfortable with it being topical because I get that that is the job you (media) have to do. But the reality is I have got a job to do myself and I will do that as well as I can."
Ken Hinkey denies there is a disconnect at Port Adelaide
The Port coach refutes Tredrea's assertion that there's an obvious disconnect at the club."The reality is we work together really well, we have got a great relationship, our whole club is really connected," he added. "We have got nothing to worry about other than getting our job done this week."
Asked about Tredrea's comments about an apparently disgruntled Port fanbase, Hinkley replied: "I can't break down someone else's thoughts so you need to ask them." Hinkley did say the public support he'd been shown from players was hardly surprising though.
"The fact that my players care is really good for me, I suppose, in some ways," he said. "But the reality is I need to focus on footy, that is what I need to focus on, getting them to play their absolute best football.
"And together ... we're going to give a real good account of ourselves for the rest of the season and we will see where it takes us. But you would expect nothing less ... would you expect the players to come out and say that they want me out? I don't think so. I think that is a ridiculous thing to look for.
Port travel to face the Sydney Swans at the SCG on Saturday night, with Hinkley axing leadership group member Darcy Byrne-Jones, along with Tom Clurey, Lachie Jones and Riley Bonner from his starting side. Goalsneak Orazio Fantasia is sidelined by a thigh strain.
with AAP
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