Opinion Sack Hinkley 3 - 2021 is worse than 2020 already

[Cheesey Mac]

I find it really difficult to trust a Ken Hinkley coached side after the recurring issues that plagued the 2015-2019 iterations, so I am trying to keep my hopes low in case the 2015-2019 style fadeout happens again... But right now you can't really fault the results, the performance could always be improved (goal kicking as the obvious example), but the structure and selection has been solid throughout this season (with the exception of Bonner, may he never be in our side again).

He'll be here in 2021 because we surely finish in the top 4 (for the first time in his 8 year tenure) from here, but he hasn't won anything yet. An extension is premature until he has. But this year certainly appears to show that some of the sins of the past have been learned from, and if he's now able to learn and adapt and we can avoid the pitfalls that have befallen us in the recent past then it all bodes well.

I've been critical of the guy but I do hope he proves me wrong and I'm eating humble pie as we celebrate a premiership at season's end. Just not getting my hopes too high or cutlery ready just yet.

 

[AdamMarrett]

If we win the flag this season I'm happy to see Hinkley see out the final season of his 2017 contract extension.

This is a very different Hinkley to the one we have seen in the previous five seasons.

Is the reason for this that a significant portion of the supporter base has voiced their disapproval of the club's acceptance of mediocrity or is it that the happy clappers were right and Hinkley just needed to be given more time for the penny to finally drop? We'll never know.

He's actually got the list he wants and can work with for his game style and plan. For what Butters brings and does, Polec didn't, for what Duursma & Rozee bring and do, Wingard didn't. Same with Burton, Mayes, Liernart in the Pittard role, and McKenzie coming where Howard was or was supposed to be. Also Ryder leaving has pushed Lycett up a level, now Ladhams gets more of a run at it, Dixon is actually fit for a change (touch wood he stays fit) and Ken trusts Marshall, Georgiadis (I'll spell it right one day) unlike Frampton, Butcher etc and the players believe in the coaches and the gameplan and it stacks up against the best sides.

The last 5 years have been frustrating as hell, but was the list actually as good as we all thought it was, I'd argue it wasn't. The results speak for themselves, Ken was coach of it and takes a lot responsibility for it, but having Wingard turn up and perform when he felt like it hindered us, same with Ryder who could do the same. Polec plays for himself only, North have discovered that this year, and now Sam Gray, Jake Neade amongst others have been replaced with actual quality footballers and we have elite ball users on the list.

That 2018 off season turned it around for Ken, and the entire club and we still have a lot more youth to come.

Ken has the list he's always wanted, and the players follow him now. A massive credit goes to all our assistant coaches to, you'd be hard pressed to find a better coaches group in the comp currently.

I'm enjoying the ride rather then worry about what could go wrong, it's more enjoyable that way I've found.

 

[Del165198]

I feel like with a loss against 4 day turnaround Geelong, this thread will go apoplectic

 

[Andre]

He needs a dangling carrot this bloke if we bomb out of finals this year he can't go in to next year with security beyond 2021.

Hopefully Koch and KT realise this time no one is going to chase him seriously, so there's no need to shit the bed unnecessarily again. If we finish top 4 after finals you can be sure Kane, Ken's Manager and all his other mates in the AFL media will be saying 'Extend Now!'. A real test that Hinkley isn't the only one to have learnt from past mistakes and not repeat them yet again.

 

[Ports1870]

He’s earnt his extra year. Only extend it if we win the flag this year. If not his extension gets based on next years performance. If rival clubs come in offering contracts, don’t fall for offering him a huge contract, if he loves the club and the players he will stay.

 

[PA88]

He's actually got the list he wants and can work with for his game style and plan. For what Butters brings and does, Polec didn't, for what Duursma & Rozee bring and do, Wingard didn't. Same with Burton, Mayes, Liernart in the Pittard role, and McKenzie coming where Howard was or was supposed to be. Also Ryder leaving has pushed Lycett up a level, now Ladhams gets more of a run at it, Dixon is actually fit for a change (touch wood he stays fit) and Ken trusts Marshall, Georgiadis (I'll spell it right one day) unlike Frampton, Butcher etc and the players believe in the coaches and the gameplan and it stacks up against the best sides.

The last 5 years have been frustrating as hell, but was the list actually as good as we all thought it was, I'd argue it wasn't. The results speak for themselves, Ken was coach of it and takes a lot responsibility for it, but having Wingard turn up and perform when he felt like it hindered us, same with Ryder who could do the same. Polec plays for himself only, North have discovered that this year, and now Sam Gray, Jake Neade amongst others have been replaced with actual quality footballers and we have elite ball users on the list.

That 2018 off season turned it around for Ken, and the entire club and we still have a lot more youth to come.

Ken has the list he's always wanted, and the players follow him now. A massive credit goes to all our assistant coaches to, you'd be hard pressed to find a better coaches group in the comp currently.

I'm enjoying the ride rather then worry about what could go wrong, it's more enjoyable that way I've found.

No, I don't buy into the notion that Ken has finally got the players that he's wanted to fit his system. After 8 years Ken's got the list he's always wanted? If he's waited 5 to 6 years for a club to give him the list he's wanted then he's been here for the money. We are talking about the guy that by his own admittance wanted to keep Ah Chee, Young, Butcher and Moore around the club with yearly contracts because they're good influences and was not interested in entertaining a trade for Lobbe because he was concerned that it would unsettle the culture because he was a good club man, and a coach who's system had been changing year by year. Adding to this, by the club's own admittance, it was list management that made the decision to look towards youth after failing in 2017 and that Ken accepted that decision, to the point where Koch and co still give praise to Ken at AGM's for him accepting the club's direction to move towards blooding more youth.

 

[backtozero]

It's not literally about this thread, it's about the overall shadow of accountability and not accepting mediocrity. This is the only difference between our club and clubs like St Kilda, Fremantle, North Melbourne, Melbourne - and if we lose it, we'll become just like them.

All of those clubs have sacked coaches in the time we've had Ken.

 

[GoTheMightyCrows]

I feel like with a loss against 4 day turnaround Geelong, this thread will go apoplectic

Only to those who like to 'celebrate' our losses.

 

[RossFC]

Only to those who like to 'celebrate' our losses.

Nobody is celebrating losses. We want to be the best and don't take losses very well at all.

 

[ElectricG]

Perfect scenario, we win the flag this year and kern fu**s off into the sunset

Just to be clear, you want him gone even if he gives us a flag. To be fair to Kane, Hinkley bashers sure are sounding desperate right now.

 

[RossFC]

Just to be clear, you want him gone even if he gives us a flag. To be fair to Kane, Hinkley bashers sure are sounding desperate right now.

My post was a piss take, I'm happy to extend if we finish top 4 and win a final. (It would be Hinkley's best season at the club).

If we go out in straight sets and the trigger happens, then I'd be disappointed.

 

[Enviable Tradition]

I feel like with a loss against 4 day turnaround Geelong, this thread will go apoplectic

Nah I think the win against Richmond gives him some credit for a respectable loss.

If we get flogged by the Cats or lose to the Hawks though..

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[raman]

I feel like with a loss against 4 day turnaround Geelong, this thread will go apoplectic

We can only hope!

 

[Shaucob_Burjan]

I like 2020 Ken a lot more but I'm still baffled at how Sam Gray and the corpse of Matthew Broadbent were first 18 players for us.

 

[Schulzenfest]

I like 2020 Ken a lot more but I'm still baffled at how Sam Gray and the corpse of Matthew Broadbent were first 18 players for us.

Sam Gray is a fringe player at bottom 3 Sydney, yet Ken had him as a walk up start for a top 10 team for four seasons running. Baffling.

Meanwhile Jake Neade is struggling to get a game in the seniors at North Adelaide. North Adelaide!

 

[glitch01]

And then the hardest decision is whether to appoint Schofield or Montgomery.

Co-coaches?
You know it makes sense....


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[Del165198]

Hinkley is 2-7 against scott. Sack him before he adds another L to the list

 

[Us against the rest]

Been here before but I will wait and see, there is still time for Ken to do something stupid. 11-4

I don't like waiting, sack him as soon as possible.

 

[Us against the rest]

 

[Us against the rest]

Sam Gray is a fringe player at bottom 3 Sydney, yet Ken had him as a walk up start for a top 10 team for four seasons running. Baffling.

Meanwhile Jake Neade is struggling to get a game in the seniors at North Adelaide. North Adelaide!

 

[Steve Dore]

Been here before but I will wait and see, there is still time for Ken to do something stupid. 11-4 ....

 

[Expat power]

Bang on.

The fundamental strategic flaws with how we've played over the past 5 years (with the exception of a genuinely tall KPD) have been resolved. We now play a style that suits our list and gets the best of our list. The players are confident because they're doing what the coaches are telling them and it's actually working. We're no longer losing games in the box or at the selection table.

If Ken Hinkley has become a good coach, obviously he can stay, but any extension needs to be based on a strong finish to this season and a strong 2021.

You reckon? I think every player and coach this year has confirmed that our game plan hasn't changed from last year. What's changed is our ability to play to it, and not to fold under pressure - we're just generally much better at it with a more talented side. The young boys are stronger, Charlie doesn't have a broken leg, Ollie a broken ankle, Boak a bung shoulder etc etc... I'd agree that 2018 we were playing a different style but not last year.

 

[Mayes2Gray]

He's done well this year. He's earnt a bit of respect back.

Watch this space.

 

[Janus]

No, I don't buy into the notion that Ken has finally got the players that he's wanted to fit his system. After 8 years Ken's got the list he's always wanted? If he's waited 5 to 6 years for a club to give him the list he's wanted then he's been here for the money. We are talking about the guy that by his own admittance wanted to keep Ah Chee, Young, Butcher and Moore around the club with yearly contracts because they're good influences and was not interested in entertaining a trade for Lobbe because he was concerned that it would unsettle the culture because he was a good club man, and a coach who's system had been changing year by year. Adding to this, by the club's own admittance, it was list management that made the decision to look towards youth after failing in 2017 and that Ken accepted that decision, to the point where Koch and co still give praise to Ken at AGM's for him accepting the club's direction to move towards blooding more youth.

Ken has tried to make a two ruck (one resting forward) system work since we brought Ryder to the club. He tried it with Lobbe and Ryder in 2015, and he tried it with Lycett and Ryder in 2019. Now it seems like we're going with Lycett and Ladhams in 2020 - that's three out of eight years.

Every single season when we’ve had talls available at the start of the season we have played them. It’s only after a failure in forward pressure that we have dropped a tall and added a small forward.

Ken is one of the three people on the list management committee. The other two are Cripps and Davies. He accepted that decision because he'd already made the call himself by playing the likes of Marshall and Howard against West Coast in the finals over Trengove. It's why he got a three year extension (2 + 1). What the club was saying was “Sorry we wasted your time for five years. Can you stick around and help us build properly?”

Keeping those players around the club was more a reflection of the pup that Cripps had sold Ken saying the list in 2012 had a premiership in it. In 2014 it looked like it did. Due to WADA, it was only in 2017 that it was realised that it didn’t...2015 was seen as a young group that was just failing to meet expectations.

Ask yourself why at least three of Dixon, Marshall, Ladhams, Westhoff and Georgiades have played every game this year. Is it because Hinkley suddenly changed his coaching philosophy? Or is it because he’s finally got players who understand the need to compete as talls? Hinkley had no problems dropping Westhoff for the same reason he dropped Marshall last year.

“I’m not looking for the best players, Craig. I’m looking for the right ones.”

 

[PowerLil]

He's done well this year. He's earnt a bit of respect back.

Watch this space.

We are 11 rounds into a shortened season. We are playing better, are structurally more sound although I am convinced most of the changes/improvements are not his calls. He has a trigger for next year if we make finals. There is absolutely no need to extend him. If we do, we have learnt nothing from our mistakes of the past particularly the undeserved contract extension in 2017.