Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley’s time at the club is set to come to an end after the 2023 season unless they make the Grand Final, according to one former AFL player.

Bernie Vince, the former Adelaide and Melbourne best and fairest winner, believes the writing is already on the wall for the Power coach.

Hinkley was on the hot seat throughout the 2022 season as calls for the club to move on from his tenure mounted.

Fans plastered a “Sack Hinkley” post over a sign on a busy Port Rd near the club’s Alberton headquarters after their finals hopes were dashed.

Now Vince believes the upcoming season will be the last for Hinkley at the club, barring an almighty miracle playing out.

“He (Hinkley) is fighting a losing battle here,” Bernie said on the Rush Hour with Bernie, Blewey and Jars.

“I think they’ve already got a plan for Josh Carr to take over. I think that will happen.

“Basically Kenny Hinkley would have to win the flag, or make a grand final (to get a new contract).

“That’s what I think and I don’t think they’ll do that.”

Hinkley’s contract will come to an end at the completion of the 2023 season with calls for fresh blood to be brought in to help rejuvenate the club.

Vince said clubs should be holding off signing contract extension for coaches until the latter half of seasons, with clubs far too often jumping the gun and signing up their coaches for long-term contracts in the early going.

“I actually think they should do more of that,” he said.

“Wait until halfway through the year.

“There’s too many clubs who sign them up for two, three years, and then all of a sudden they get halfway through that first year and think ‘gee, things aren’t going well’.

“How many times do we see them paying out coach’s contracts?”

The Power were active in the off-season after finishing 11th on the ladder in a truly disappointing season.

They added excitement machine Junior Rioli while also luring gun youngster Jason Horne-Francis away from North Melbourne.

After finishing in the top two on the ladder in 2020 and 2021, the club – behind president David Koch – has their sights set high on getting back into finals contention.

Hinkley will need to exceed those expectations if he’s to remain in charge at Alberton, if not his services will spark a bidding war among the other teams.