Opinion Sack Hinkley 11 - Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest

[King_Tredrea]

Yeah, but isn't the damage based on our impression that we've continued to employ a coach that's incapable of winning a premiership. If he does win a premiership and it turns out we were wrong, then that's exactly what we wanted, isn't it?

I don't want Ken gone for the sake of wanting Ken gone, I want him gone because I think it will improve our chances of winning a flag. If it turns out I was wrong about that and Ken does snag us a flag, great! I'm much more invested in Port winning a flag than I am in being right.

It's not necessarily based on the impression that he "can't win a flag". That's only a part of it. If he does, it will be proof that if you are given a job for life and a neverending production line of resources, eventually you will achieve something. The bigger issue is that we have wasted a decade and given someone 5-6 years longer than they deserve, when there have been 3-4 very clear "flashpoints" where a strong club would make the correct decision to sack or not extend said coach.

 

[bringbackbucky]

That was a borderline excellent interview by Hinkley.

I thought the same - and feel dirty for thinking so…

 

[Peninsula Boy]

It's not necessarily based on the impression that he "can't win a flag". That's only a part of it. If he does, it will be proof that if you are given a job for life and a neverending production line of resources, eventually you will achieve something. The bigger issue is that we have wasted a decade and given someone 5-6 years longer than they deserve, when there have been 3-4 very clear "flashpoints" where a strong club would make the correct decision to sack or not extend said coach.

That's it in a nutshell.

After the Brisbane loss, the team has had many radical coaching changes which are very different to the philosophies of Kenny Average football which we've had to endure for over a decade. We've gone from a soft, skills based, defenders who attack and forwards who defend with that unbelievably high press to a balanced, defensive, contested, hard Port Adelaide like team.

Whereas before we needed a player to step up and win the game for us, the new Port Adelaide can have a player go down and still have the steely resolve and continue on with the gameplan and overcome problems as a team.

There is a strong element of the team now that plays Port Adelaide football. The players are obviously loving it. The fans are going berserk. The coaching staff have finally seen the light. And all you can really say is its about time!

 

[Peninsula Boy]

I believe since the booing, more responsibility has been given to Carr and others.
I don't care what anyone thinks, how the hell can you coach without a headset to communicate with the coaches in the box.
We have seen change in all departments since the booing

It wouldn't surprise me given the massive changes to the team.
Either Hinkley has listened to Carr and the rest of the coaching staff and changed the team or Carr and the coaching staff have been given a lot more responsibility.

All I can say is Hinkley was a soft, half back flanker and for more than over a decade, we played that way.
Recently, the team has played hard, contested, accountable footy and that was the way Josh Carr played to help us win a flag in 2004.

 

[PowerBaz]

I believe since the booing, more responsibility has been given to Carr and others.
I don't care what anyone thinks, how the hell can you coach without a headset to communicate with the coaches in the box.
We have seen change in all departments since the booing

What change coaching halfway through a season?

Doubt it.

Maybe it’s just the sum of all parts and it’s finally clicked.

 

[TeeKray]

Yep, he was never out of it. Even before the late season run, this was nowhere near outside the realms of possibility.

If we win a final and Ken tells them he wants to coach on, they have to be able to make a call that's harder than ones they've failed to make in the past. I don't trust them to do it. They're weak and they don't like conflict.

I know for a fact that there is an advanced plan to move on from Hinkley and that more or less everyone is on the same page with that. The only question is timing. Our form since the Brisbane game makes it more likely that the timeline on this gets pushed out to next year rather than this year.

Straight sets is a straight up failure and he gets sacked. I don't think there's any doubt about that. Winning a final is a different proposition though. As far as I'm aware there isn't a precedent in recent decades for a coach winning a final and then getting sacked. Yes I know there's no precedent for a coach coaching this long without a premiership but it would still be one of the most ruthless sackings ever to win a final and then sack your coach within weeks. I just don't see it happening.

 

[sobrave]

That was a borderline excellent interview by Hinkley.

 

[Chewy316]

Pure speculation and putting 2 and 2 together but there must be a reason why Eagles seem to be very quiet on their Head Coach hunt front. They must have had positive discussions or at least indications around a senior coach from a top 8 club to go to them next year

Rule out Kingsley and Mitchell. Also rule out Voss cause if he gets sacked then can't see Eagles taking on a coach that's been sacked twice. I don't think Vossy would quit to go West. Longmire and Chris Scott will see out their respective contracts and there's no push from the club's side to want those two out and rightfully so.

Leaves Fagan, Ken, Bevo. And I genuinely think that Ken is the most suitable out of those 3 to coach Eagles. He's the one that's capable of turning a bottom 4 club into a finals team. He's a good coach but not one that's good enough to win a flag.

Time will tell but regardless of what happens this season, even if he wins a flag, I think he's more likely to leave

What you've said here makes a lot of sense.

I still think they're waiting on how Port go in the finals to determine whether or not Ken is in play for them.

The interesting scenario from my perspective is a grand final loss with West Coast then presenting a long term deal to Ken. At which point I would hope and expect Port to let him go, but you can never be certain.

 

[TeeKray]

What you've said here makes a lot of sense.

I still think they're waiting on how Port go in the finals to determine whether or not Ken is in play for them.

The interesting scenario from my perspective is a grand final loss with West Coast then presenting a long term deal to Ken. At which point I would hope and expect Port to let him go, but you can never be certain.

I can't see Hinkley walking out on his players after a grand final loss. That would be totally out of character.

 

[papahuggey]

I can't see Hinkley walking out on his players after a grand final loss. That would be totally out of character.

If he gets a bigger pay check, I would argue that would be on brand.

On SM-N975F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Chewy316]

I can't see Hinkley walking out on his players after a grand final loss. That would be totally out of character.

He was ready to walk in 2017 after the elimination final loss.

If West Coast come with a 5 year deal worth 4.5M or thereabouts after a grand final loss, and Port aren't willing to give him a contract extension, he will have a massive decision to make, one which I believe would see him choose to move to the Eagles.

 

[Peninsula Boy]

I knew it would be an unpopular opinion but I call it like I see it.

 

[Peninsula Boy]

I know for a fact that there is an advanced plan to move on from Hinkley and that more or less everyone is on the same page with that. The only question is timing. Our form since the Brisbane game makes it more likely that the timeline on this gets pushed out to next year rather than this year.

Straight sets is a straight up failure and he gets sacked. I don't think there's any doubt about that. Winning a final is a different proposition though. As far as I'm aware there isn't a precedent in recent decades for a coach winning a final and then getting sacked. Yes I know there's no precedent for a coach coaching this long without a premiership but it would still be one of the most ruthless sackings ever to win a final and then sack your coach within weeks. I just don't see it happening.

 

[Marmozet]

He should be booed off the ground again if we lose to Geelong next Thursday Night.

Booing him worked really well last time, let’s see how they respond this time over the following three weeks.

 

[PowerLil]

I can't see Hinkley walking out on his players after a grand final loss. That would be totally out of character.

He was the only AFL coach to negotiate the KPI's out of his contract when the AFL mandated the COVID reductions in coaches' wages. This was reported.

 

[Fizzler]

Yeah, but isn't the damage based on our impression that we've continued to employ a coach that's incapable of winning a premiership. If he does win a premiership and it turns out we were wrong, then that's exactly what we wanted, isn't it?

I don't want Ken gone for the sake of wanting Ken gone, I want him gone because I think it will improve our chances of winning a flag. If it turns out I was wrong about that and Ken does snag us a flag, great! I'm much more invested in Port winning a flag than I am in being right.

I mean yeah for the most part, but it’s a little bit more nuanced than that for me. Let’s start with the fact that it’d mean he would have taken longer than anyone else ever to make it to a Grand Final, which under the current admin will affirm a precedent of “well if it took Ken 12 years, our next coach should get just as long”. Something that is so far removed from what Port Adelaide should be. And yes I’m that implies a time period of 24 years under this admin which is too long to be realistic, but we will only ever see gradual change to the board under the current set up and this same lack of accountability will more than likely continue beyond Koch.

We also need to look at the division this situation has caused within the fanbase. And while to the outside one might think the division would come from those who want the coach gone, in my experience that’s not the case. This is just a sample of the vitriol I received for saying I’ve cancelled my membership after Ken’s extension last year. And these are people who are apparently on the same side as me as Port fans? Pffttttt. I’m not at the point of barracking against us in a final, but do I want those people to feel vindicated? **** no! That might seem twisted, but I go in with low expectations anyway. We’re by no means the frontrunners to win it all.

I obviously want to see Port win, that’s my motivation for wanting the campaigner gone, but when he’s damaged my love of Port Adelaide so much, I can’t be as excited as I was in 2020 when I had only wanted him gone for 2 years and he’d only led us to one prelim loss at that point. It’s simply not possible. How can I be excited for the H&A games in between? How can I even be excited for the finals when history suggests we can’t get it done under him? This rot has ****ed the club and I know I’m not alone in my enjoyment being diminished.

 

[sobrave]

I knew it would be an unpopular opinion but I call it like I see it.

I haven't heard it, but it does sound rather implausible

 

[chiwigi]

If we win it this year, those who said to stick fat with Hinkley are, OF COURSE, vindicated, and I was wrong saying we'd never win one with him at the helm.

I'm then objectively wrong, you'll get no argument from me.

What we will never know is if we would have won others without him here.

 

[Schulzenfest]

There's 18 teams in this comp. If somebody tells you you're going to have a same coach for 12 years and that coach is gonna win 1 flag, you absolutely take that in a second. If you're unhappy with that strikerate we quite genuinely are getting into 'it's not the SANFL anymore' territory.

 

[TeeKray]

There's 18 teams in this comp. If somebody tells you you're going to have a same coach for 12 years and that coach is gonna win 1 flag, you absolutely take that in a second. If you're unhappy with that strikerate we quite genuinely are getting into 'it's not the SANFL anymore' territory.

Yep, especially as a non Victorian team in a competition where non Victorian teams have won 2 of the last 17 premierships despite comprising 44% of the competition.

 

[King_Tredrea]

There's 18 teams in this comp. If somebody tells you you're going to have a same coach for 12 years and that coach is gonna win 1 flag, you absolutely take that in a second. If you're unhappy with that strikerate we quite genuinely are getting into 'it's not the SANFL anymore' territory.

That is a bizarre over simplification of this situation. C'mon now.

 

[GremioPower]

If we win it this year, those who said to stick fat with Hinkley are, OF COURSE, vindicated

It was April 22nd, 2019, when I wrote this:

“… However, I suspect that, if we win the Grand Final, I would be watching it happily in disbelief. I won't know it even when I see it...“

That was more than five years ago.

They won’t be vindicated. Why should I suddenly deem acceptable someone telling me in Fall 2019 “Mate, all we need is waiting more SIX YEARS and, boom!, flag is certain”?

I would still have taken my chances to try winning it sooner.

 

[GremioPower]

There's 18 teams in this comp. If somebody tells you you're going to have a same coach for 12 years and that coach is gonna win 1 flag, you absolutely take that in a second. If you're unhappy with that strikerate we quite genuinely are getting into 'it's not the SANFL anymore' territory.

Not necessarily. See my post above.

 

[240volt]

I’m told he dribbled something about ‘stability’ lol.

The cheek.

You’d be surprised just how many people think he’s done/doing a great job.
I was on a Port supporters board the other day and couldn’t believe what I was reading.
So me being me I made a comment about my thoughts on Ken and the board.
This is a sample of the replies I got

Shocking board you are a Negative Nancy and have no idea. What about his fantastic proven record 2nd to none win loss? You are probably one who booed against the Lions that day yea. We don't need supporters like you all your comment proves is that we have some shocking supporters who do not deserve to support this magnificent football club. First you are bagging Ken in your first post then next you bag the board what do you like about Port Adelaide? Us true supporters don't give a rats about what you think and want because you don't matter. We love Ken and love our club. You are a dh Jump over to the Clowns Negative Nancy they are full of supporters like you we don't want you.

I won’t be returning hahaha, unbelievable people.

 

[Peninsula Boy]

He was the only AFL coach to negotiate the KPI's out of his contract when the AFL mandated the COVID reductions in coaches' wages. This was reported.

What can you say?