Can Port win a premiership under Ken Hinkley?

[JimmyBC]

Simpson was well liked by his fanbase. Something you Alberton hillbillies could learn from.

Ken consistently punches up with average squads. 2nd with this team is a fair achievement.

The only hillbilly is the Camperdown one that's achieved three 5ths of sfa in 12 years.. bound for a Bell Park return.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

I remember thinking in the middle stages of this year (I think it was after the Showdown loss to Adelaide) that there were so many parallels between Ken Hinkley's time at Port and Chris Scott

Chris Scott

Age

48

Ht

182cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.6

4star

K

11.2

4star

HB

5.4

4star

M

5.1

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.4

3star

No current season stats available

D

13.2

4star

K

10.2

4star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.2

3star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.4

3star

from season 2 to season 11 at Geelong.

The failure to capitalise almost annual top four finishes into grand final berths, let alone premierships. Multiple humiliating performances in finals, losing home finals to interstate opponents. But how do you sack a coach after making the PF again? It's not as easy as if you finish 14th. At the time I was thinking that my advice for Port fans from our experience from 2012-22 (remembering that I was ready to stick a fork in 2022 at 5-4) is that things can never look further away and then something just clicks and it seems to happen really easily when things fall into place.

It was looking like this might be the year for Port to me, heading into the QF. And they're still only a home win away from a PF rematch against the team they beat by a billion points about a month ago. I wouldn't be writing them off just yet, in a season where we've learnt that has been so unreliable.

 

[Elixuh]

Well done Kenny. Heres to many more years.

 

[Schulzenfest]

Well done Kenny. Heres to many more years.

After we lose tonight and he gets sacked, bring Choco back as caretaker coach for one game to get this stain off of the record books.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Please win Kenny. Go past Choco and confirm your Port Adelaide legend status in a PF.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

The only hillbilly is the Camperdown one that's achieved three 5ths of sfa in 12 years.. bound for a Bell Park return.

With shit teams. Done well to make finals so often with dross.

 

[Schulzenfest]

With shit teams. Done well to make finals so often with dross.

Don't you get bored of just making the exact same unsubstantiated and entirely subjective post 100 times in the same thread? Surely you have something better to do with your life?

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Don't you get bored of just making the exact same unsubstantiated and entirely subjective post 100 times in the same thread? Surely you have something better to do with your life?

How is that any different to the unsubstantiated abuse Port fans give Ken based off a flawed idea he should have done a lot better?

What is it now. Thread 13 on Kenny?
Sounds like a few Port fans have repeated themselves in there.

Your side last week had 3 of our rejects, a cooked Dixon, shit like McEntee, DBJ, Jones, Burgoyne, Mead and BZT.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

I remember thinking in the middle stages of this year (I think it was after the Showdown loss to Adelaide) that there were so many parallels between Ken Hinkley's time at Port and Chris Scott from season 2 to season 11 at Geelong.

The failure to capitalise almost annual top four finishes into grand final berths, let alone premierships. Multiple humiliating performances in finals, losing home finals to interstate opponents. But how do you sack a coach after making the PF again? It's not as easy as if you finish 14th. At the time I was thinking that my advice for Port fans from our experience from 2012-22 (remembering that I was ready to stick a fork in 2022 at 5-4) is that things can never look further away and then something just clicks and it seems to happen really easily when things fall into place.

It was looking like this might be the year for Port to me, heading into the QF. And they're still only a home win away from a PF rematch against the team they beat by a billion points about a month ago. I wouldn't be writing them off just yet, in a season where we've learnt that has been so unreliable.

I guess that 2011 flag gave CS breathing space so fans could live with the decade of finals failings that followed, Ken didnt have that start.
I dare say had CS not inherited one of the greatest teams in history, that delivered for him instantly, he'd have come under much more scruitiny from within.
Lets be honest, not many coaches would walk away from that list, Bomber was crazy.

Its funny though, prior to 2022 Cats fans defended that 2011 flag as Scotts whenever oppo's suggest blind Freddy could have coached it but since he's won one on his own merit theres been a shift to comparisons of his time from 2012 onwards and Kens time at Port with suggestions that we just have to be patient.
If Ken won a flag in his first season or so then having patience would be fair, but he didnt and hasnt since so the criticism is warranted.

 

[Schulzenfest]

How is that any different to the unsubstantiated abuse Port fans give Ken based off a flawed idea he should have done a lot better?

What is it now. Thread 13 on Kenny?
Sounds like a few Port fans have repeated themselves in there.

Your side last week had 3 of our rejects, a cooked Dixon, shit like McEntee, DBJ, Jones, Burgoyne, Mead and BZT.

Same list that got us to 2nd this year, and 3 top 3 finishes out of the previous 4 years. Same list that beat the Cats in the home and away season.

Why can't your mate Kenny coach a knockout finals win to save his life? Whatever you may think about the quality of the list, it doesn't suddenly get worse in September. But the results do. And they did in 2021, when we only had 10 of the players who played last Thursday in the side. And they did in 2017, when we only had 4 of the players who played last Thursday in the side.

There's one constant. And it's a bloke who hasn't won a single knockout final for literally over 10 years, no matter what lists he's been given.

 

[Papa G]

The defence by the Geelong Supporters of the biggest Handbagger of their infamous handbagger era is astounding. Only when they ditched the handbagger style and went down a darker and dubious path did they become successful. Whilst you can argue the morals of this, no doubt it has been a wildly successful era for them. How they look back at the player who is the epitome of their handbag/Loser era so fondly is completely amazing.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Same list that got us to 2nd this year, and 3 top 3 finishes out of the previous 4 years. Same list that beat the Cats in the home and away season.

Why can't your mate Kenny coach a knockout finals win to save his life? Whatever you may think about the quality of the list, it doesn't suddenly get worse in September. But the results do. And they did in 2021, when we only had 10 of the players who played last Thursday in the side. And they did in 2017, when we only had 4 of the players who played last Thursday in the side.

There's one constant. And it's a bloke who hasn't won a single knockout final for literally over 10 years, no matter what lists he's been given.

At no point in the last decade have I or bookies had Port as favourites preseason. You've never struck fear in the comp as the team to beat.

And just like under Scott 2021-21 if you're a good team but not the best team the end result is often and week 2-4 finals defeat.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

I guess that 2011 flag gave CS breathing space so fans could live with the decade of finals failings that followed, Ken didnt have that start.
I dare say had CS not inherited one of the greatest teams in history, that delivered for him instantly, he'd have come under much more scruitiny from within.
Lets be honest, not many coaches would walk away from that list, Bomber was crazy.

Its funny though, prior to 2022 Cats fans defended that 2011 flag as Scotts whenever oppo's suggest blind Freddy could have coached it but since he's won one on his own merit theres been a shift to comparisons of his time from 2012 onwards and Kens time at Port with suggestions that we just have to be patient.
If Ken won a flag in his first season or so then having patience would be fair, but he didnt and hasnt since so the criticism is warranted.

I take that point and it's reasonable. I've always given credit to Scott for the 2011 flag. It's only in hindsight that people thought the players could have coached themselves to it. Collingwood had taken a very young team to the flag, smashing us in the process, we'd lost Ablett and added no-one of note, they'd gained (from memory) Tarrant and Krakouer. How could we have possibly been better than them?

But where it does tie in, is the Geelong people who'd given up on Scott. QF loss, SF win, PF loss, rinse and repeat. While other teams like Hawthorn and Richmond seemed to win them easily any time they had a good team.

You would have no trouble finding Geelong supporters who'd given up on Scott ever winning that second one: winning one with 'his own team'. It was never anything like the groundswell against Hinkley, granted and the early premiership doesn't hurt there. But it's similar for me in that there was a quite a large group of people who thought Scott's time was up at Geelong, but (like Hinkley) it's not the done thing in the AFL to sack a coach who's made a preliminary final, or even made the top eight.

 

[powerrrrrrrrrrrr]

At no point in the last decade have I or bookies had Port as favourites preseason. You've never struck fear in the comp as the team to beat.

And just like under Scott 2021-21 if you're a good team but not the best team the end result is often and week 2-4 finals defeat.

That’s interesting as there is a couple crystal ball articles that are released before the start of every year which have many footy journos who have all had port as favourites to be premiers or runners up in those years.

And yet we’ve continued to achieve neither.

So clearly many have actually had us as favourites at times regardless of what you think.

 

[Mr Meow]

The defence by the Geelong Supporters of the biggest Handbagger of their infamous handbagger era is astounding. Only when they ditched the handbagger style and went down a darker and dubious path did they become successful. Whilst you can argue the morals of this, no doubt it has been a wildly successful era for them. How they look back at the player who is the epitome of their handbag/Loser era so fondly is completely amazing.

This post is so pathetic that I actually have to congratulate you on achieving excellence in your field.

 

[Xtreme]

Kenny would easily coach Port Adelaide to victory in a rematch against Geelong at the MCG in grand final day. He has the Midas touch, turns water into wine and can out coach Chris Scott

Chris Scott

Age

48

Ht

182cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.6

4star

K

11.2

4star

HB

5.4

4star

M

5.1

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.4

3star

No current season stats available

D

13.2

4star

K

10.2

4star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.2

3star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.4

3star

while blindfolded.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

I take that point and it's reasonable. I've always given credit to Scott for the 2011 flag. It's only in hindsight that people thought the players could have coached themselves to it. Collingwood had taken a very young team to the flag, smashing us in the process, we'd lost Ablett and added no-one of note, they'd gained (from memory) Tarrant and Krakouer. How could we have possibly been better than them?

But where it does tie in, is the Geelong people who'd given up on Scott. QF loss, SF win, PF loss, rinse and repeat. While other teams like Hawthorn and Richmond seemed to win them easily any time they had a good team.

You would have no trouble finding Geelong supporters who'd given up on Scott ever winning that second one: winning one with 'his own team'. It was never anything like the groundswell against Hinkley, granted and the early premiership doesn't hurt there. But it's similar for me in that there was a quite a large group of people who thought Scott's time was up at Geelong, but (like Hinkley) it's not the done thing in the AFL to sack a coach who's made a preliminary final, or even made the top eight.

Perhaps thats what a club like Port needs, to sack a coach who makes Prelims but cant take the next step, to make it clear to prospective coaches, players and fans that near enough simply isnt good enough and you better bring your 'A' game or need not apply.

Rate us or not, we're the only real club outside of Victoria to be elevated to the big time and that needs to stand for something other than simply making up the numbers.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

Kenny would easily coach Port Adelaide to victory in a rematch against Geelong at the MCG in grand final day. He has the Midas touch, turns water into wine and can out coach Chris Scott while blindfolded.

Surely he gets the Allan Jeans/Jock Mchale double to go with JHF's Brownlow/Gary Ayres/Norm Smith/Premiership quadrella.

 

[Schulzenfest]

At no point in the last decade have I or bookies had Port as favourites preseason. You've never struck fear in the comp as the team to beat.

And just like under Scott 2021-21 if you're a good team but not the best team the end result is often and week 2-4 finals defeat.

This is the Chris Scott who has made 3 GF's and 2 flags and is a good chance of making another GF next week that you're referring to here, yes?

Can't say I recall Geelong being preseason flag favourites in 2022 either. And this year they were barely expected to make the eight. Can't say I recall Melbourne being preseason flag favourites in 2021, West Coast being preseason flag favourites in 2018, Richmond being preseason flag favourites in 2017, the Bulldogs being preseason flag favourites in 2016. Should I keep going?

 

[Art Vandelay_]

That’s interesting as there is a couple crystal ball articles that are released before the start of every year which have many footy journos who have all had port as favourites to be premiers or runners up in those years.

And yet we’ve continued to achieve neither.

So clearly many have actually had us as favourites at times regardless of what you think.

I feel like CNN fact checking Donald. In the last 5 years a lot picked Port to win in 2021. In the other 4 seasons only sporadic selections for top 4.

In fact back to 2016 this still rings true.
So in the last 9 seasons you've had 1 where you were expected to make a GF or win it and ****ed it up royally.

So what are you complaining about for the rest of them? Team not expected to do much lives up to expectations and does little in September.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

This is the Chris Scott who has made 3 GF's and 2 flags and is a good chance of making another GF next week that you're referring to here, yes?

Can't say I recall Geelong being preseason flag favourites in 2022 either. And this year they were barely expected to make the eight. Can't say I recall Melbourne being preseason flag favourites in 2021, West Coast being preseason flag favourites in 2018, Richmond being preseason flag favourites in 2017, the Bulldogs being preseason flag favourites in 2016. Should I keep going?

We're talking about Port though. A club that in 9 years has at best been expected to go real deep in 1/9 seasons. You've got to compile a compelling list to win.

Yet last off season you recruited 4 players ranging from but part soldiers to utter crap... And did you expect to improve or get worse from that?

 

[powerrrrrrrrrrrr]

I feel like CNN fact checking Donald. In the last 5 years a lot picked Port to win in 2021. In the other 4 seasons only sporadic selections for top 4.

In fact back to 2016 this still rings true.
So in the last 9 seasons you've had 1 where you were expected to make a GF or win it and ****ed it up royally.

So what are you complaining about for the rest of them? Team not expected to do much lives up to expectations and does little in September.

You claimed in the last decade no one has had them as favourites which is simply untrue. Heck if you check back to 2015 out of 12 media individuals selecting their season ahead, 7 selected us to be premiers and the other 5 runners up. Sounds like that’s us being rated as the favourites within your decade… what happened that year though? We didn’t even make finals.

Keep shifting those goal posts though as you guys often do to continue to defend Ken.

You do also realise that the outright premiership favourite doesn’t always have to win? Failing after multiple top 4 finishes can only be seen as a massive failure. Stop trying to spin it that it’s not and should just be accepted.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Win-Win situation from here at HT.

Either the undeserving Alberton faithful get denied a win they don't deserve as "fans".

Or.

Kenny gets to atone for last week and make 2024 season a success making a PF.

 

[Schulzenfest]

shit like DBJ, Jones, Burgoyne, Mead and BZT.

I think you might not know very much about football my man.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

I think you might not know very much about football my man.

Ouch. That hurts.
Rich from a Power fan given the sentiment to the now Longest serving Port Coach!