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Tasmania will have Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinckley in their sights as they look for their inaugural coach.
The AFL’s 19th team is due to enter the league in 2028 and according to 7NEWS Melbourne’s Theo Doropoulos, they will consider pursuing an experienced manager like Hinckley when courting their first coach.
WATCH ABOVE: Ken Hinckley to coach rival club looms.
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Hinkley has so far taken charge of 249 games in 12 seasons at the Power with a win rate of over 60 per cent, but is expected to hand over the reigns to senior assistant Josh Carr at some stage before his contract expires next year.
“There was a lot of talk about ‘where to?’ about Port Adelaide next; they did a few preliminary games in Ken’s time, (he is) the longest-serving coach never to reach a grand final,” Doropoulos told Talking Footy.
“But he has done a great job with this club. He had to reinvent himself several times and rejuvenate their roster.
“He’s now out of contract at the end of 2025 and I think the industry pretty much expects Josh Carr, if he’s not already pulling the strings, to be in the future.”
Doropoulos said Hinckley will make a decision if he is out of a job at the end of next year.
“There’s a team coming, of course, Tassie – if Ken Hinkley is still interested in staying on as head coach that would be a live option, no doubt he’ll be on Tasmania’s radar to help grow the team, growing club,” he continued.
“Two things you probably want as a coach are time and money and you certainly have both when you go to Tassie. You will also have unlimited support.
“If he doesn’t want a director with a coaching role to sit on the Gold Coast (for example) and help mentor somebody else, and he wants to stay on the hot seat, then I think the Tasmanian commission is looking at that beyond (Nathan) Buckley or someone of that ilk, I think you’d be remiss not to look at Ken Hinckley.
Buckley recently said he wanted to have a conversation with Tasmania on the makeup of the coaching role, which will include starting well before their inaugural season to help build the roster.
Talking Footy co-host Joel Sellwood gave glowing support to Hinckley, who was among Geelong’s assistants during their premiership era in the late 2000s.
For now, though, Hinkley is focused on digging his side out of the hole they found themselves in against the Giants last weekend.
He says his team’s form is not up to scratch and admits the inclusion of some key players won’t be enough to get them “out of jail”.
The Force sank to their second successive defeat on Sunday in a 22-point loss to GWS.
It marked Port’s fourth loss in their last eight games, leaving them seventh in the table with an 8-5 record.
Hinckley took a risk by dropping out-of-form strikers Charlie Dixon and Jeremy Finlayson for the game.
Mitch Georgiades was strong in brief moments with three goals and Todd Marshall looked dangerous at times but was wasteful with 1.3. Ollie Lord looks out of sorts with 0.0 from just four disposals.
Hinkley will not be able to call on Dixon for Saturday’s tough home clash with Brisbane after the key forward received a three-game suspension for concussing an opponent with a heavy blow while playing in the SANFL.
Finlayson has a chance to earn a recall if Hinkley opts for a trial, while goalscorer Willy Rioli (calf) could also be available in what would be a huge boost.
But the coach knows more of his forward line needs attention as the Force have lacked their usual spark over the past two months.
“We’re not going to get out of jail with just one or two pieces, we’ve got to get the collective in good shape,” Hinckley said.
“We haven’t had them in really good form for a short period of time.
“I don’t think it’s a surprise with what we’re seeing in the competition.
“There are teams that are a bit too up and down and there is one team (Sydney) that is obviously up all the time. That’s the challenge.”
Port Adelaide kicked a wayward 6.15 (51) against GWS, costing them the chance of victory.
They also made uncharacteristic skill errors and lacked their usual buzz.
“Going into the bye, it looked like a bit of a lethargic team,” Hinckley said.
“We didn’t look as sharp as we should have looked.
“We have to own that ourselves and get back to being ready to run and take over the game a little bit more.”
– With AAP
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