Ken Hinkley's presser after Bulldogs game

[Ford Fairlane]

I said in the review thread that the best thing about the game was Ken's press conference after the game. He came across as someone who was genuinely disappointed in this group maybe for the first time but also spoke with the brutality of someone who wanted to see something like Port Adelaide football over the back end of this year and every week from here on.

I know RussellEbertHandball thinks talk is essentially cheap on a cost-effective basis and I agree but the steel in Ken's voice made me think there will be some hard questions asked the next 4 weeks and this off-season. He's not going to speak like a disgruntled footy message board poster and he is essentially quite reserved in his comments at press conferences but he made some tough public assessments about the team this season.

I think it may not be so much a question of whether Ken has lost the players but whether some players have lost Ken. Now to get back some of that Michael Cheika fire in the coach's box during the game.

Among the key points in the press conference

• We were physically and mentally beaten up
• We caved in to pressure
• We are not doing the team things consistently - players are playing for themselves
• Work rate is not at AFL level
• Not prepared to go to battle every minute, every second - we have to compete every minute not just for 10 minutes. Turn up and play the right way
  
• Played like a team more hoping than wanting
• He is looking forward to the next 4 weeks to see who wants to play when there's nothing on the line - who is going to stand up when there's little light
  
• We are tough on our terms not when the opposition bring hard footy (didn't say front-runners but read between the lines)
• We don't want to stay in the contest long enough - want to play easy footy
• Players have to give their guts for the team, then he's satisfied (The Creed)
• He gives a handful of players a pass mark for the year. Not nearly good enough
• This was tough to swallow, one of the the first times he thought this group did not do the club proud
• He is very impressed with the Dogs

 

[PA88]

I got no issue with his press conference. I don't want our coach to lower himself into a dummy spit in public.

 

[HaroldOliver]

Thanks for your summation of Ken's insights Ford.

I'll add:

• Our obligation is that we put up a competitive effort
• We're only tough on our terms
• Have to compete for every minute in this game otherwise you're no good
• Next week we have to play proper footy

 

[Shaucob_Burjan]

Ken is fully aware of the the issues that we see which is a big tick.

But I also think Ken is trying to work out what is wrong and hasnt been able to figure that out yet.

'When the grass is cut the snakes will show'.

 

[Jack Foster]

I'm convinced Ken knows he and Burgess made mistakes during the pre season. Allowing Nicks to coach was a mistake which appeared too complacent and influenced the playing group.

I also believe his and Burgess' desire for speed and endurance over cooked the players early and lead to lighter bodies.

He's also aware that the loss of Walsh has been significant.

This is why Ken is keeping his cool when we all want to see his ruthless 2014 style.

While the players are also responsible for a terrible season I believe Ken realises he has let them down and is cutting them some slack.

This pre season will be brutal again but Ken and Burgess will be wiser.

 

[Doctor Feel]

Just like Michael Clarke now the ashes has been lost, admits that he had doubts about his career and has called time. This after resolutely telling the media he wasn't thinking about it, and not to question his passion and desire.

The season is over - and ken reveals what he has really thought all year. He played the politics well for the season, but we saw what Ken was really dealing with over the season in that presser.

 

[El Zorro]

• We were physically and mentally beaten up
• We caved in to pressure
• We are not doing the team things consistently - players are playing for themselves
• Work rate is not at AFL level
• Not prepared to go to battle every minute, every second - we have to compete every minute not just for 10 minutes. Turn up and play the right way
  
• Played like a team more hoping than wanting
• He is looking forward to the next 4 weeks to see who wants to play when there's nothing on the line - who is going to stand up when there's little light
  
• We are tough on our terms not when the opposition bring hard footy (didn't say front-runners but read between the lines)
• We don't want to stay in the contest long enough - want to play easy footy
• Players have to give their guts for the team, then he's satisfied (The Creed)
• He gives a handful of players a pass mark for the year. Not nearly good enough
• This was tough to swallow, one of the the first times he thought this group did not do the club proud

What really worries me is that all this sounds a lot like a Primus press conference after any given loss in those dark years. I am concerned that the previous 2 years were an exemption and we haven't really changed the culture of the club/playing group.

2016 will be a defining season for many at the club, if not the club itself. Another season like this and we'll be stuck in a losing culture for years or decades a la Melbourne or Carlton.

 

[Seanybruz]

I agreed with most of the points he made including what he said about their crowd of 20,000 odd which included a fair few of ours that traveled over, if I lived in Melbourne & wanted to see a game of footy from a neutral perspective it'd easily be the Dogs because they play the exact same brand of footy as we did the last 2 years & have a very exciting young list full of emerging stars.

First time this year Ken's sounded hurt & hasn't made excuses for the playing group, would be very surprised if there aren't a few big changes (albeit too late) & we don't put up a much better effort next week.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

What really worries me is that all this sounds a lot like a Primus press conference after any given loss in those dark years. I am concerned that the previous 2 years were an exemption and we haven't really changed the culture of the club/playing group.

2016 will be a defining season for many at the club, if not the club itself. Another season like this and we'll be stuck in a losing culture for years or decades a la Melbourne or Carlton.

Yeah well he really can't win then can he? If he says that this is just a bump in the road and it will all be better next year everyone will be screaming that he's stuck his head in the sand.

Ken's given us two great years (considering where we were coming from) and has hit his first pot-hole. So far the trend is in his favour. Yes next year has to be better. Unlike Primus following depressing loss after depressing loss Ken has shown that he knows what is needed to improve.

 

[Dalfino]

It's great that Ken is finally showing disappointment with the way we are playing - but it should've happened 19 weeks ago.

 

[*PAF]

...

He's also aware that the loss of Walsh has been significant.
...

*Back on my soapbox re: Walsh.*

This may be true but it's not about losing Walsh. It's about not having a right hand man that stepped up to the plate like Walsh did when we lost Richardson.

One of the roles Walsh and Richo would have performed would be studying and getting ready for the opposition team. This is an area we have failed dismally in.

This year we have looked as if we just went out there to do our thing without caring who the opposition would be or what they would bring to the plate. That total lack of respect for the opposition is just not good enough at this level.

It may be that Ken has taken that role on himself, on top of everything else he has to do, or that we haven't bothered to replace that role, however both of these options are unlikely.

Who that person is meant to be I wouldn't have a clue but something has gone wrong, and gone wrong in a big way. It could be as simple as a bad communication strategy, be it between the assistant and head coach or coaching team and players, but whatever it is it needs to be fixed and fixed before anything else.

 

[Jim Dixon]

Yeah there's not a lot Ken can say or do. He has to get the 2015-2016 off-season right, and he can't do much that will have obvious effect until then. We won't really know until round 6 or 7 next year if he's made the right calls or not.

So he has to remain patient, and so do we. Not something footy fans are good at.

 

[Adam Marrett23]

Ken Hinkley strikes me as a coach that will back you in and trust you with everything, but if you burn that there is no coming back. First time all year I've seen him so despondent with the players. He gives them alot of power and trust and this year they have burnt that. Be a interesting off season as I can see a name or one or two of his favorites going.

 

[*PAF]

...

So he has to remain patient, and so do we. Not something footy fans are good at.

Whilst fans want to see wins, the first and foremost thing they expect is coordinated effort.
On the weekend neither the effort nor the coordination seemed to be there.
No one would expect fans to be happy with that, and only blaming the players, and in particular fringe players, is way too simple if not simplistic.

 

[Chewy316]

I think Ken hit the nail on the head in that presser. For the better part of three years, he has stuck by his players through everything. He's had so much confidence in the players, and has consistently backed them in publicly to turn things around, when we hit tough going. This season has been the perfect storm of things going wrong, and yesterday epitomised that. I don't doubt that Hinkley has been internally pissed off and despondent with certain personnel. But yesterday some of that came out publicly. There is only so much any coach is going to take publicly before they say "enough is enough." And we saw that at his presser yesterday. There comes a point when as a coach, you need to draw a line in the sand and hold up on your non-negotiables. This is precisely that time. The players aren't giving back to Ken's trust. Maybe spitting a few of them out in the coming weeks will help get back to being on the right track.

 

[simmo_bc]

the signs of our regular season form were right there from the pre-season but I consoled myself with the fact that it was the pre-season and that Ken and Co were trying different things - as they should during the pre-season.

Remember the WCE game at Norwood Oval? we were up by 9 or so goals at half time and then our structure fell apart and they pretty much dominated the second half but hey, it's preseason right?

Remember the Richmond game at Albury? we were slaughtered but hey, it's preseason right?

Remember the Crows game at Footy Park? we were hammered but hey, it's preseason right?

We then started the season 3 and 2 and we all thought things were pretty rosey but in reality, there were big issues within the squad.

 

[portly]

He was quick to scarper from the grilling too. Hard for him, and I hope the players are feeling it too.

Now, my danger antennae were raised very early in the season in the first practice match against another team, and I keep on seeing the same problems.

1. When placed under pressure our guys seem to have very slow reactions or have not practiced for that situation or don't know what they are supposed to do. Compare our use of handball to the Dogs aggressive and exact use yesterday. Positioning around the contest seems wrong to me as well. Perhaps Nicks was right when he said earlier this this year that they had practiced defense so much he was concerned the players might have difficulty playing attacking footy. This is a coaching problem.

2. Other teams tackle differently to us, though I do see signs of change. The good teams tackle the arms or body hard in such a way that the player drops the ball, which they then whisk away because that is what the whole team is prepared for. This is a coaching problem.

3. What has bothered me all year is players not presenting, due to game plan or fitness or laziness or a combination. If there is no one available to receive the ball then the player with the ball has a problem. Oftentimes when Pittard looks stupid part of the problem is because no one is presenting - obvious at the game but not on TV. Most of these are coaching issues.

So I believe that the coaches are the main culprits this year, and that the above are the real issues.

Ken may have berated the players over work rate, and no doubt that was deserved, but I really hope he is looking inwards as well. So far I have not seen any indication though.

Nevertheless, I really rate Ken and have little doubt he has the ability and cajones to fight his way through this year's setback.

I keep hanging on to the hope that the year was planned this way, to build up the players' bodies and defensive experience. Well, I can hope.

 

[edgie]

Too little too late.

 

[QPower]

Although I believe Port rising again in 2016 is far from assured, I have faith Ken is the right man for the job.

He is dealing with a lot of mentally weak players who go to water at the first sign of a challenge.

He can and will work through this but it won't be painless.

 

[simmo_bc]

Hopefully the players don't go into the off season just assuming we will turn it around in 2016.

Don't know about the rest of you but I get the feeling that the 'experts' have given us a 'one crap year pass' without being overly critical?

 

[edgie]

I don't understand how he can question if the group can fight back from this, after all it is the same group that fought back from 2011 and 2012. Stop putting it on the group.

 

[ab56452001]

Mentioned it before , he has backed the players in , over the interests of the club imho ,and they have burnt him and us , a fatal mistake

 

[Smithy7]

Ken is fully aware of the the issues that we see which is a big tick.

But I also think Ken is trying to work out what is wrong and hasnt been able to figure that out yet.

'When the grass is cut the snakes will show'.

Maybe just maybe ... some of the snakes will be cut with the grass....

 

[Us against the rest]

Ken is fully aware of the the issues that we see which is a big tick.

But I also think Ken is trying to work out what is wrong and hasnt been able to figure that out yet.

'When the grass is cut the snakes will show'.

When our good players don't fire up we are very poor. Imo we have good players like Wingard, Gray, Wines, Boak, Ryder, then it falls away big time, then we look very average. So if thoses good players are down, so is Port. The answer sounds simple but we can't delist10 or so players and pick up ready made AFL players. Quite simply we don't bat deep enough and lack depth. In2013 - 14 we had a contribution from all players. I think Ken came to realise that in his presser.

 

[Seanybruz]

Hopefully the players don't go into the off season just assuming we will turn it around in 2016.

Don't know about the rest of you but I get the feeling that the 'experts' have given us a 'one crap year pass' without being overly critical?

The 'experts' on the Sunday footy show are of the other opinion, when saying the Dogs need to go as hard at the finals this year as they can because there's no guarantee they'll be back up next using us as the perfect comparison of a young side struggling to back up a decent year when faced with a tougher draw.

They said we've escaped scrutiny of our average season & our list management has been poor locking in players to long term deals who've failed to lead by example & back up their positive form from previous years.

Can't disagree with a lot of what they said tbh, those players that have gone backwards need some serious hard truths in their post year reviews & need to put in a ripper preseason to reward the faith the clubs shown in them.