Ken Hinkley remains the right man to guide Port to a flag and the criticism he’s received from sections of the fans is unjustified, according to Fox Sports pundits Nathan Buckley, Jason Dunstall and Nick Riewoldt.
The Power has won more games than any other team in the over the past two seasons, only to come unstuck in the preliminary finals on both occasions.
Port lost 46-40 at home to eventual Premiership winner Richmond in 2020 and were on the receiving end of a 116-45 mauling by Western Bulldogs at the Adelaide Oval six months ago.
Ken Hinkley is under pressure as his Port Adelaide’s tenure enters his 10th season
The latter defeat saw Hinkley lambasted by section of Power fans slot online and on radio phone-ins, but Riewoldt believes responsibility for the collapse against the Bulldogs lies with the players.
‘That was really as meek an effort as we’ve seen from Port Adelaide in a big game for a long time, so I’m really interested to see how they respond to that and whether they do have any scars from that or mental demons,’ the former Saints great said earlier this week at the Fox Footy launch in Melbourne.
‘Ken is a great coach, I thought the players let themselves down rather than Port Adelaide being out-coached.’
The upcoming campaign will be Hinkley’s 10th as Port’s head coach, with the Power reaching the finals in five of his nine seasons in charge after missing out on the top eight in the five years prior to his arrival.
The Power have suffered heartbreak in the preliminary finals in the last two seasons
Port were vanquished by Western Bulldogs six months ago, losing 116-45 at home
With the 55-year-old at the helm, Port have never finished lower than 10th in the regular season and have won five finals.Frustratingly, however, they have never managed to reach the Grand Final, with the club’s last appearance in AFL’s showpiece now dating back to 2007.
Dunstall, however, believes despite recent heartbreak Port have all it takes to bridge the gap from the reigning champions Melbourne Demons and the Bulldogs.
‘I find it quite interesting actually, because I think he has got them in a great position, they have a strong list, they have recruited well, they play an exciting brand of football,’ he said.
‘I enjoy watching Port Adelaide play, they are an exciting team to watch, so if I was a fan of Port Adelaide I would be reasonably happy with where they are at.
But Nick Riewoldt (centre) believes the responsibility for the loss lies with the players
‘I’m not sure why you would be pointing the finger at Ken Hinkley, I think he’s done a great job.’
Buckley, who led Collingwood to the 2018 Grand Final, echoed his colleagues’ sentiment and insisted Port were in good shape under Hinkley, who is contracted to the club until 2023.
‘I think you have to look at the whole club, is it in good shape, have you recruited well, is your conditioning in the right space, are you preparing players well, how are you playing the game, how are you performing against the best teams — the other top four teams in the competition,’ he said.
Fox Footy pundit Nathan Buckley believes Port are in good hands under Hinkley
However, the former Pies coach also noted winning regular season games would not automatically translate into finals success.
‘You can be winning games but you are not preparing yourself to be winning finals,’ he added.
‘But Ken is a bloody good coach and I think the relationships are pretty strong.The expectations are high externally but I don’t think they would be any higher than his internal expectations, he sets the bar pretty high.’
Port open their AFL season in Brisbane on Saturday against the Lions.