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To celebrate the 11th anniversary of Ken Hinkley's first game as senior coach of the Port Adelaide Football Club, I thought I'd compose a short history of what has come to be known as 'Hinkleyball'.
We all know Hinkleyball. A slippery night at the Oval. A close game. That feeling of dread. The fumbling from our players. The shanked set shots. By contrast, the apparent sky high confidence and silky skills of the opposition players, seemingly unable to miss a target or a shot at goal. The small but vocal opposition fans behind the northern goals. It's another night of Hinkleyball.
Hinkleyball must feature the following elements:
It may or may not feature the following elements:
2014:
R16 v Essendon - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2014/051320140705.html
The game that started it all. We lose 7.18 (60) to 8.14 (62). Trailed by 16 points at 3/4 time but mounted a faux comeback that fell short. Inside 50s 54-50 our way. Our first ever home defeat at the Oval and a sign of things to come.
2016:
R9 v West Coast - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2016/131820160521.html
Wasn't sure whether to include this or not but decided to include it because I feel like it sets the tone for what we all know comes later against the same opposition. No notable discrepancy in inside 50s or shots on goal but a classic case of getting jumped early before mounting a faux comeback that never looks likely and falls 8 points short.
2017:
R7 v West Coast - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2017/131820170506.html
Hinkleyball at its finest. Jumped again by West Coast. Faux last quarter comeback again. This time though the scoreboard reads an ugly 12.15 (87) to 15.7 (97) with a staggering inside 50 advantage of 68-39. Yes, you read that right. A disgrace that would be repeated against the same opposition in dramatic fashion months later.
R15 v Richmond - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2017/131420170701.html
Where in prior years we had only seen glimpses of it, this is by now starting to become a theme. We lose 8.15 (63) to 11.10 (76) with an inside 50 advantage of 67-52. Richmond players later credit this game as when they knew they could win the flag.
EF v West Coast - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2017/131820170909.html
The big daddy of all Hinkleyball games. Jumped early, spend the whole night trying to get back into it. Dixon kicks 3.6. We lose in extra time after the siren with Luke Shuey getting a free kick for a high tackle. Of course he doesn't miss and ends our season. Final score 10.16 (76) to 12.6 (78). Inside 50 advantage of 63-46.
2018:
R21 v West Coast - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2018/131820180811.html
Just to prove the previous year's final wasn't a fluke, we put on an encore performance. This game was slightly different because we were actually in front all game, had less inside 50s and kicked more accurately than the opposition. But the obvious similarity is too good to ignore. West Coast mount a last quarter surge to win with a kick after the siren from Jeremy McGovern. To confirm the club's status as a meme, the kick was from the exact same spot as Luke Shuey in the previous year's elimination final. This was the first time West Coast had led all game.
2019:
R4 v Richmond - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2019/131420190413.html
The famous 'we've got a long way to go to be anywhere near as good as the Richmond Football Club' game. We lose a close game by 7 points with Richmond missing a host of key players including Martin, Riewoldt and Cotchin.
R19 v GWS - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2019/132120190727.html
I know this one is a personal favourite of tribey's. We lose 7.13 (55) to 8.8 (56). Inside 50 advantage 53-45. Haynes and Davis take 23 marks between them.
2020:
PF v Richmond - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2020/131420201016.html
The most consequential of all games in this series. A home preliminary final. Game goes backwards and forwards all night. Dixon puts us in front in the last quarter and we look like we could do the unthinkable. Lambert kicks two goals, including one from a free kick, to sink us. We lose by a goal despite an inside 50 advantage of 58-44.
2022:
R3 v Adelaide - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2022/011320220401.html
Not technically a home game but it was still at the Oval and too good not to include. We lead from early in the opening quarter before getting beaten after the siren once again from the boot of Jordan Dawson after a clumsy free kick is given away by Sam Mayes. Final score 15.6 (96) to 13.14 (92).
2023:
R19 v Collingwood - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2023/041320230722.html
A while between drinks but this one was a beauty. We lose 12.11 (83) to 13.7 (85). Inisde 50 advantage of 57-44. Collingwood can't miss from anywhere whilst we spray easy shots from everywhere.
2024:
R3 v Melbourne - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2024/111320240330.html
A carbon copy of the aforementioned Collingwood game. We lose 13.11 (89) to 15.6 (96). Inside 50 advantage of 66-45. Melbourne can't miss from anywhere whilst we spray easy shots from everywhere.
R8 v Adelaide - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2024/011320240502.html
An instant Hinkleyball classic. We lose by 30 points - 12.6 (78) to 5.18 (48) - despite having 5 more scoring shots. We score 48 points from 23 scoring shots. We win the inside 50 count 57-47. The game is played entirely in our front half and yet we do not look like winning the game for a second.
We all know Hinkleyball. A slippery night at the Oval. A close game. That feeling of dread. The fumbling from our players. The shanked set shots. By contrast, the apparent sky high confidence and silky skills of the opposition players, seemingly unable to miss a target or a shot at goal. The small but vocal opposition fans behind the northern goals. It's another night of Hinkleyball.
Hinkleyball must feature the following elements:
- Twilight or night game
- Played at Adelaide Oval
- Defeat by a few goals or less
It may or may not feature the following elements:
- Defeat despite a significant advantage in inside 50s and/or shots on goal
- Jumped early before mounting a faux final quarter comeback where it 'looks' like we might win but we don't
- An opposition player kicking a goal after the siren to win the match, possibly from a free kick
- The opposition later win the premiership and credit this game as the one that made them believe
2014:
R16 v Essendon - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2014/051320140705.html
The game that started it all. We lose 7.18 (60) to 8.14 (62). Trailed by 16 points at 3/4 time but mounted a faux comeback that fell short. Inside 50s 54-50 our way. Our first ever home defeat at the Oval and a sign of things to come.
2016:
R9 v West Coast - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2016/131820160521.html
Wasn't sure whether to include this or not but decided to include it because I feel like it sets the tone for what we all know comes later against the same opposition. No notable discrepancy in inside 50s or shots on goal but a classic case of getting jumped early before mounting a faux comeback that never looks likely and falls 8 points short.
2017:
R7 v West Coast - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2017/131820170506.html
Hinkleyball at its finest. Jumped again by West Coast. Faux last quarter comeback again. This time though the scoreboard reads an ugly 12.15 (87) to 15.7 (97) with a staggering inside 50 advantage of 68-39. Yes, you read that right. A disgrace that would be repeated against the same opposition in dramatic fashion months later.
R15 v Richmond - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2017/131420170701.html
Where in prior years we had only seen glimpses of it, this is by now starting to become a theme. We lose 8.15 (63) to 11.10 (76) with an inside 50 advantage of 67-52. Richmond players later credit this game as when they knew they could win the flag.
EF v West Coast - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2017/131820170909.html
The big daddy of all Hinkleyball games. Jumped early, spend the whole night trying to get back into it. Dixon kicks 3.6. We lose in extra time after the siren with Luke Shuey getting a free kick for a high tackle. Of course he doesn't miss and ends our season. Final score 10.16 (76) to 12.6 (78). Inside 50 advantage of 63-46.
2018:
R21 v West Coast - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2018/131820180811.html
Just to prove the previous year's final wasn't a fluke, we put on an encore performance. This game was slightly different because we were actually in front all game, had less inside 50s and kicked more accurately than the opposition. But the obvious similarity is too good to ignore. West Coast mount a last quarter surge to win with a kick after the siren from Jeremy McGovern. To confirm the club's status as a meme, the kick was from the exact same spot as Luke Shuey in the previous year's elimination final. This was the first time West Coast had led all game.
2019:
R4 v Richmond - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2019/131420190413.html
The famous 'we've got a long way to go to be anywhere near as good as the Richmond Football Club' game. We lose a close game by 7 points with Richmond missing a host of key players including Martin, Riewoldt and Cotchin.
R19 v GWS - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2019/132120190727.html
I know this one is a personal favourite of tribey's. We lose 7.13 (55) to 8.8 (56). Inside 50 advantage 53-45. Haynes and Davis take 23 marks between them.
2020:
PF v Richmond - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2020/131420201016.html
The most consequential of all games in this series. A home preliminary final. Game goes backwards and forwards all night. Dixon puts us in front in the last quarter and we look like we could do the unthinkable. Lambert kicks two goals, including one from a free kick, to sink us. We lose by a goal despite an inside 50 advantage of 58-44.
2022:
R3 v Adelaide - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2022/011320220401.html
Not technically a home game but it was still at the Oval and too good not to include. We lead from early in the opening quarter before getting beaten after the siren once again from the boot of Jordan Dawson after a clumsy free kick is given away by Sam Mayes. Final score 15.6 (96) to 13.14 (92).
2023:
R19 v Collingwood - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2023/041320230722.html
A while between drinks but this one was a beauty. We lose 12.11 (83) to 13.7 (85). Inisde 50 advantage of 57-44. Collingwood can't miss from anywhere whilst we spray easy shots from everywhere.
2024:
R3 v Melbourne - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2024/111320240330.html
A carbon copy of the aforementioned Collingwood game. We lose 13.11 (89) to 15.6 (96). Inside 50 advantage of 66-45. Melbourne can't miss from anywhere whilst we spray easy shots from everywhere.
R8 v Adelaide - https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2024/011320240502.html
An instant Hinkleyball classic. We lose by 30 points - 12.6 (78) to 5.18 (48) - despite having 5 more scoring shots. We score 48 points from 23 scoring shots. We win the inside 50 count 57-47. The game is played entirely in our front half and yet we do not look like winning the game for a second.
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