Scape Goat I've lost my faith in Ken Hinkley Part 2

[elee]

>> I've lost my faith in Ken Hinkley

.. and so you should

 

[Ilias M]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-07-04/power-still-a-topfour-side-says-ceo-thomas

- Asked if Port's list still had top four credentials, Thomas replied: "We have that sort of a list"
- Thomas pinpointed Port's midfield as problematic this season due to the suspension/injury of rucks

So 3 years later, no top 4 finishes. No ruckmen. Maybe 1 finals appearance.

The biggest blunder in Ports history. No wonder the guy is in hiding.

Perfectly stated !

 

[edgie]

Master Yoda, either failure ain't teaching us shit or we ain't heeding its lessons...

 

[Ilias M]

*PTSD dog trigger warning*

Ken said after yesterday's shambolic capitulation that we "live and learn". What exactly do we learn?

Since Buddy went nuts on us at the SCG in 2014, we've worked up a veritable library of single digit defeats, more often than not in games and/or situations where winning should be practically beyond question and more often than not in important games.

In chronological order.

R13 2014 v Sydney, lost by 4 points - Two games clear at the top of the table. Have Sydney where we want them but Buddy goes bananas. The start of a mini decline that will see us miss the top 4.

R16 2014 v Essendon, lost by 2 points - Lose a dour affair to an average Essendon team. Our only home loss for the season. Both key defenders out and replaced with nobody. Game lost at selection.

R19 2014 v Collingwood, lost by 6 points - Top 4 on the line and we lose to a Collingwood team that misses the finals.

R23 2014 v Fremantle, lost by 8 points - A somewhat commendable performance. A square off for top 4 and we fall short after a strong comeback that would end up being a preview of what was to come two weeks later.

PF 2014 v Hawthorn, lost by 3 points - Brilliant first quarter but failed to take our chances and kept Hawthorn in the game. Brave comeback falls short. We miss out on a grand final after having 9 more scoring shots than the opposition. Hawthorn go on to win the grand final in a canter.

R1 2015 v Fremantle, lost by 7 points - The beginning of defence first football. We lead at three quarter time only to be overrun.

R12 2015 v Carlton, lost by 4 points - Lose to a wooden spoon bound Carlton. Enough said.

R16 2015 v Adelaide, lost by 3 points - The Walsh Showdown. Gift wrapped them a win with our dickless attitude towards a club that would never have shown us the same compassion, and then knelt at their feet and apologised for making them play a game of football.

R8 2016 v Carlton, lost by 2 points - Winning by 3-4 goals late in the game, somehow get overrun by a putrid Carlton team.

R12 2016 v Western Bulldogs, lost by 3 points - Arguably the only truly honourable defeat on this list, to the eventual premier.

R10 2017 v Geelong, lost by 2 points - Leading with a minute to play. Dixon called to play on. Concede a stoppage goal to Dangerfield. Ridiculous way to lose.

EF 2017 v West Coast, lost by 2 points - The crown prince of this list. Leading by 13 points with 6 minutes to play in extra time in a home elimination final, lose after the siren from a free kick.

R11 2018 v Hawthorn, lost by 3 points - Kicked the first 4 goals of the game. Still lost 9 goals to 9.

R17 2018 v Fremantle, lost by 9 points - No Fyfe, no Sandilands, no worries, because we'll come over and try grind out a 1-0 win against a team of kids because reasons.

R20 2018 v Adelaide, lost by 3 points - Leading by 3 goals in the last quarter. Ollie misses an easy shot. Jenkins kicks a winner that actually hit the post, but who cares because we lose yet another close one.

R21 2018 v West Coast, lost by 4 points - A laughable parody of the previous season's elimination final. Leading by 8 points with less than a minute to play, lose to a kick after the siren to the same team in the same part of the ground as 11 months earlier. It's almost like we deliberately did it to provide the lolz for the rest of the AFL world.

All up, we've lost 12 of our last 101 games by 4 points or less. Pretty sure that's not normal.

Far out that is disturbing bro!

 

[JimmyBeerCans]

Ken's a shit teacher and we've all been repeating Grade 7 for 4 years more like

 

[Coobk001]

It always kills me when people inside our club rate ourselves as a contender and a possible top 4 team. 2014 was a flash in the pan. We didn't even finish top 4 that year and this will now be 6 seasons under Hinkley with NO top 4 finishes.

How can anyone possibly claim we are that good.

We are a middle of the road side and have been for a long time. A hot streak in 2014, a lucky final where Freo kicked a bazillion points, and some good trades have tried to bamboozle people, but we've continued to trend as a middling side for a long time and I can't see anything changing.

I've said it many times, "maybe this is just our level". We all sit at games sighing every 3rd possession as another clanger or bad decision occurs, and we all come back saying if we only just were a bit cleaner. We all go and watch this team play the same Hinkley-chaos ball, and wonder why we don't score regularly. We all see our horrible ball movement and the poor structural decisions made by Hinkley over and over again, yet keep conning ourselves into thinking maybe it'll click...... but no.

It won't click, it won't change, this is just our level. We are a middle of the road list, and a middle of the road team. This team and list needs the reinvigoration of a new coach, but yet we have years to go before that happens thanks to one of the WORST decisions a Port Adelaide board has ever made. Extending a fledgling coach by more time than he had even served at the time of extension. A landmark deal, based on a flawed concept that stability would magically equal success. Instead stability has equalled malaise and continuing mediocrity.

 

[El_Scorcho]

No doubt. When we blow it, that's not bad luck, it's bad skill execution. I'm not complaining about those games. But just once it would be nice to be on the other end of one of them.

Part of this is just aura though. It's mental.

Teams know they have a great chance at coming back and stealing one from us so they are confident, up and about and know that their chance will come.

Our gamestyle provides a mental boost to opposition sides late in games because they feel like they're still in the game.

The problem isn't losing close ones. Losing close ones is a mixture of bad luck and not learning from experience. The problem is that a game like the last 2 at Adelaide Oval against West Coast were even close to begin with.

 

[PowerBaz]

We should set up a go fund me page.

 

[tribey]

It always kills me when people inside our club rate ourselves as a contender and a possible top 4 team. 2014 was a flash in the pan. We didn't even finish top 4 that year and this will now be 6 seasons under Hinkley with NO top 4 finishes.

How can anyone possibly claim we are that good.

We are a middle of the road side and have been for a long time. A hot streak in 2014, a lucky final where Freo kicked a bazillion points, and some good trades have tried to bamboozle people, but we've continued to trend as a middling side for a long time and I can't see anything changing.

I've said it many times, "maybe this is just our level". We all sit at games sighing every 3rd possession as another clanger or bad decision occurs, and we all come back saying if we only just were a bit cleaner. We all go and watch this team play the same Hinkley-chaos ball, and wonder why we don't score regularly. We all see our horrible ball movement and the poor structural decisions made by Hinkley over and over again, yet keep conning ourselves into thinking maybe it'll click...... but no.

It won't click, it won't change, this is just our level. We are a middle of the road list, and a middle of the road team. This team and list needs the reinvigoration of a new coach, but yet we have years to go before that happens thanks to one of the WORST decisions a Port Adelaide board has ever made. Extending a fledgling coach by more time than he had even served at the time of extension. A landmark deal, based on a flawed concept that stability would magically equal success. Instead stability has equalled malaise and continuing mediocrity.

It's obvious we have guys in decline.

Ebert, Boak, Ryder, Dixon, Motlop, Rockliff, Pittard, (Hartlett, Broadbent) are or soon will be miles off their peak form.

Wingard's at the crossroads - we need a gamebreaking midfield/forward hybrid in the Dusty-mould, not part-time Shannon Grant - and Robbie's greatness won't last forever.

But I still think we haven't gotten close to what we should've out of these guys from 2015-18.

Saturday was the gold standard. Any other side steamrolls that Eagles outfit in the first half (25-0 start!), and if the injuries still occur, has enough buffer to survive. But we get all #datawarehouse and shoot our dicks off.

 

[NEGAN]

That footage of Ebert and Jonas in the last 30sec shown on 360 burnt my eyes

 

[Forzaport]

When? When does an opposition player miss a gamewinner against us?

I've given you three examples of players doing it against Geelong. Isaac Smith had another one in the 2016 QF that I forgot about, so throw that in too. Geelong have had four opposition players miss match winners against them in the last 24 months. Have we had an opposition player miss one matchwinner against us in, say, the last ten? If we have I don't remember it.

Frequently. Of course, we give them multiple bites at that cherry whereas Geelong usually isn't as generous.

Both Adelaide and West Coast had many shots on goal near the end of our games before finally jaging the matchwinner.

 

[tribey]

That footage of Ebert and Jonas in the last 30sec shown on 360 burnt my eyes

For all the talk of Jonas' leadership qualities, he had to pull rank and demand Ebert swaps.

 

[Coobk001]

That footage of Ebert and Jonas in the last 30sec shown on 360 burnt my eyes

Can you sum it up?

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

I think the injury “excuse” in this instance is very real, yet to me it still feels irrelevant because if it wasn’t that, it would be something else. We will always find a way.

The injury excuse is just that. We worked our arse off for 95% of the last quarter and only let them get 1 goal. I can't remember how much of the 3rd quarter we played with 3 down but they didn't score a goal.

Its the bullshit last 90 seconds where we let them score 2 goals with rudderless leadership. That has nothing to do with injuries.

Ken should go and coach from the bench in the last 10 minutes if the players are that dumb. He is going to see SFA from the box and pull some match winning move when we are trying to save the game.

I said it at the elimination final to my sister, that Ken should coach extra time from the bench with us having so many inexperienced players - Howard, DBJ, Clurey, Bonner, Marshall etc. he can eyeball them on the bench and yell instructions to our players who need all the help they can get.

All the great coaches of the last 25 years have spent 5-10 up to 20 minutes of the last quarter coaching from the bench. It can't ****en hurt to try something different and give your message directly to the players.

 

[broombroom9]

Has he left yet?

 

[NEGAN]

Can you sum it up?

Jonas signalled to Ebert to swap had ample time to do so.... Actually 2 times centre bounce and ball up....

And they didnt

Jonas was on riolli

 

[NEGAN]

For all the talk of Jonas' leadership qualities, he had to pull rank and demand Ebert swaps.

I think he was he signalled to Ebert to do so but Ebert was off with fairies.

 

[Doctor Feel]

Can you sum it up?

Spoiler: Ebert ****ing DIES

 

[NEGAN]

The injury excuse is just that. We worked our arse off for 95% of the last quarter and only let them get 1 goal. I can't remember how much of the 3rd quarter we played with 3 down but they didn't score a goal.

Its the bullshit last 90 seconds where we let them score 2 goals with rudderless leadership. That has nothing to do with injuries.

Ken should go and coach from the bench in the last 10 minutes if the players are that dumb. He is going to see SFA from the box and pull some match winning move when we are trying to save the game.

I said it at the elimination final to my sister, that Ken should coach extra time from the bench with us having so many inexperienced players - Howard, DBJ, Clurey, Bonner, Marshall etc. he can eyeball them on the bench and yell instructions to our players who need all the help they can get.

All the great coaches of the last 25 years have spent 5-10 up to 20 minutes of the last quarter coaching from the bench. It can't ****en hurt to try something different and give your message directly to the players.

Absolutely spot on

1,30 left ball in clureys hand 8 points up any excuse goes out the window

 

[Lockhart Road]

The injury excuse is just that. We worked our arse off for 95% of the last quarter and only let them get 1 goal. I can remember how much of the 3rd quarter we played with 3 down but they didn't score a goal.

Its the bullshit last 90 seconds where we let they score two goals with rudderless leadership and let them kick 2 goals. That has nothing to do with injuries.

Ken should go and coach from the bench in the last 10 minutes if the players are that dumb. He is going to see SFA from the box and pull some match winning move when we are trying to save the game.

I said it at the elimination final to my sister, that Ken should coach extra time from the bench with us having so many inexperienced players - Howard, DBJ, Clurey, Bonner, Marshall etc he can eyeball them on the bench and yell instructions to our players who need all the help they can get.

All the great coaches of the last 25 years have spent 5-10 up to 20 minutes of the last quarter coaching from the bench. It can't ****en hurt to try something different and give your message directly to the players.

Can you really see Hinkley doing something like this? Going down to the bench? On the turf of Adelaide Oval itself? Hinkley - the same senior coach who appears on TV during a home match sitting all by himself high above the lesser coaches and stats crunchers, saying nothing, issuing no orders, drinking cans of coke and occasionally pulling a face? Do you really think he would do anything that might be interpreted as cutting across the territory of his line coaches? Can you imagine this gruff semi-grumpy dutch uncle of a senior coach daring to do such a thing while a match is actually in progress, while it’s safer for him to remain detached and leave signs of life to others?

I can’t.

 

[Doctor Feel]

lol on Sportsday SA they played a clip of Blight calling this exact collapse towards the end of the year about 5 weeks ago. Was spot on. He said our percentage was dire and if we drop any winnable games or struggle to beat Crows and West Coast we'll be borderline if not out of the eight, and he said it was a distinct possibility. Kane was like "surely not"

Here we are fam. Seasoned followers of Ports knew this was the script.

 

[rogerjames]

Well I've done the calculations. Now if $60,000 members contribute to the approx $3mill payout it is $50 each. If only 40,000 of us have the stomach for it, it goes up to $75 each. Tack it on to all of our memberships. Hell i reckon that is cheap.

I'm in for either amount

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Can you really see Hinkley doing something like this? Going down to the bench? On the turf of Adelaide Oval itself? Hinkley - the same senior coach who appears on TV during a home match sitting all by himself high above the lesser coaches and stats crunchers, saying nothing, issuing no orders, drinking cans of coke and occasionally pulling a face? Do you really think he would do anything that might be interpreted as cutting across the territory of his line coaches? Can you imagine this gruff semi-grumpy dutch uncle of a senior coach daring to do such a thing while a match is actually in progress, while it’s safer for him to remain detached and leave signs of life to others?

I can’t.

I invoke my RFK signature.

Like RFK I might not be around to see the dream become real.

 

[afl2004]

lol on Sportsday SA they played a clip of Blight calling this exact collapse towards the end of the year about 5 weeks ago. Was spot on. He said our percentage was dire and if we drop any winnable games or struggle to beat Crows and West Coast we'll be borderline if not out of the eight, and he said it was a distinct possibility. Kane was like "surely not"

Here we are fam. Seasoned followers of Ports knew this was the script.

Blight knows hinkley well

 

[thundercloud]

I'm pretty sure there would be a lot of suitable coaches that aren't so stubborn and stupid as to keep repeating the same bullshit mistakes and they may even actually make changes. They don't have to be current AFL coaches. Seriously i have seen better U16 coaches than Ken. It wouldn't be that hard to take this current group of players and get them to play better than they have been. Ken won't change and certainly wont change in any reasonable timeline. He is so slow to react it is outrageous. His selections are crap. His gameplan is crap. He is turning even the most positive Port supporter against the club. His position with our club imo has now become untenable. He has to go.

Gee i have had my laugh for the night reading the last 3 pages of comedy. I am a v positive supporter and are certainly not against the club. I was at the footy saturday night and their was none of this righteous indignation and any ridicule about, so your premises are incorrect and proposittion purile.