Chewy316
Norm Smith Medallist
- Jul 1, 2014
- 8,102
- 27,937
- AFL Club
- Port Adelaide
- Other Teams
- Lakers, Ducks, Yankees
In a vacuum, Hinkley's teams always will command respectability because they rarely get blown out on big occasions (there are some outliers but the overall trend says otherwise), and they'll always remain competitive without ever truly being a contender.
There are two core principles of Hinkley's which I fundamentally disagree with. The first is his belief that every game should be treated with the same intensity irrespective of opposition. His reasoning is that "it is so hard to win in this league" so the bottom side needs to be taken as seriously as the top side. This all sounds well and good until you realise that his team's approach against the bottom sides rarely if ever stacks up against the top sides. Furthermore, some games are simply bigger than others. Yes, they all count for 4 points in the home and away season, but you need to win games against the top sides to instil belief and confidence that your team is on the right track and that the system is sound and will hold up against those very teams in September. Beating the Roos or the Eagles by 10+ goals on a bog average Sunday arvo in May and June does not instil that same belief and confidence.
The second principle is that Hinkley believes a close loss which could theoretically go either way with the bob of the head is luck on the day with little else to explain it. Further to that, a loss in this instance tells you no more or less than a win because the luck factor is responsible for the respective result on the day.
It is this principle as to why Hinkley's teams will always show up and be thereabouts but lack the killer instinct to win big games. In Hinkley's 11 years of coaching I can count individually the games in which Port were an up and coming side taking on and beating the lead contender of the season at the time:
Two other "big wins" were the qualifying finals in 2020 and 2021.
One can look at the individual results in a vacuum and think that they're on the right track. But we said the same thing in 2014, some said the same in 2017, we all thought similar in 2020 and then 2021 as well. He's an almost coach who is content with being almost great. He speaks about greatness having no idea about what the bloody thing looks like in the first place.
This team has all the talent necessary to win a premiership. Collingwood's team on paper is not superior to Port's, but the mentality and will to win is leaps and bounds ahead of where Port's mindset it right now. Rozee, Butters and JHF in particular have the potential to drive the standards for the next decade, but they will be forever hamstrung by the senior coach leading the charge if he remains in his current position. A psychopathic head kicking coach is exactly what this team needs to get over the hump.
There are two core principles of Hinkley's which I fundamentally disagree with. The first is his belief that every game should be treated with the same intensity irrespective of opposition. His reasoning is that "it is so hard to win in this league" so the bottom side needs to be taken as seriously as the top side. This all sounds well and good until you realise that his team's approach against the bottom sides rarely if ever stacks up against the top sides. Furthermore, some games are simply bigger than others. Yes, they all count for 4 points in the home and away season, but you need to win games against the top sides to instil belief and confidence that your team is on the right track and that the system is sound and will hold up against those very teams in September. Beating the Roos or the Eagles by 10+ goals on a bog average Sunday arvo in May and June does not instil that same belief and confidence.
The second principle is that Hinkley believes a close loss which could theoretically go either way with the bob of the head is luck on the day with little else to explain it. Further to that, a loss in this instance tells you no more or less than a win because the luck factor is responsible for the respective result on the day.
It is this principle as to why Hinkley's teams will always show up and be thereabouts but lack the killer instinct to win big games. In Hinkley's 11 years of coaching I can count individually the games in which Port were an up and coming side taking on and beating the lead contender of the season at the time:
- 2014 Geelong round 6
- 2015 Hawthorn round 4
- 2018 Adelaide first showdown
- 2020 Richmond
Two other "big wins" were the qualifying finals in 2020 and 2021.
One can look at the individual results in a vacuum and think that they're on the right track. But we said the same thing in 2014, some said the same in 2017, we all thought similar in 2020 and then 2021 as well. He's an almost coach who is content with being almost great. He speaks about greatness having no idea about what the bloody thing looks like in the first place.
This team has all the talent necessary to win a premiership. Collingwood's team on paper is not superior to Port's, but the mentality and will to win is leaps and bounds ahead of where Port's mindset it right now. Rozee, Butters and JHF in particular have the potential to drive the standards for the next decade, but they will be forever hamstrung by the senior coach leading the charge if he remains in his current position. A psychopathic head kicking coach is exactly what this team needs to get over the hump.
