Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley is in an “untenable” position, according to Power premiership captain Warren Tredrea, with fears he’ll now come under the microscope “like never before”.
After going 0-5 in 2022 and missing finals, the Power have been embarrassed in back-to-back losses first to Collingwood and now rivals Adelaide in their home Showdown.
Fox Footy’s Jason Dunstall says the Showdown loss has left Port in “trouble with a capital T”.
“He’s been under the pump before, but I think now he comes under the microscope like never before,” he said on AFL 360.
“As much as he’s not going to like it … The conversations going to start really really early, particularly if they can’t string some wins together.
“They are not playing great footy. The difference between their good and bad is poor.
“You’ve got to think he’s going to come under some heat.”
Fellow AFL 360 host Gerard Whateley was more optimistic on Hinkley’s future, despite the horror start to the season.
When asked “yes or no” will Hinkley see out the season, Whateley replied: “Yes I think Port Adelaide will hold their nerve on him and run him the course”.
The debate over Hinkley’s future comes after Tredrea has accused the club of being “in denial” over Hinkley, given his contract is up at the end of the year.
“I get it’s early in the season but for me it’s just like, you know what? He’s not going to be there in 2024,” Tredrea said on The Big Deal podcast.
“I can’t see it. If he does, I’ll be the first to say well done. But right now, it looks untenable.
“Right now, I just look at Port and go: ‘would I ever consider someone not coaching a club from Round 3?’ It sounds ridiculous.
“But if Ken knows he’s not going to be there next year, the board knows he’s not going to be there next year, who are we kidding?
“We’re effectively playing out a mulligan in golf.
“I just look at the situation right now and whether the club’s in denial or they’ll improve and hope it goes away, well they started last year 0-5. They didn’t finish in finals last year.
“For a team that’s a lot better than what they are, right now they talk up they’re the best team around.
“There’s just too much talking, not enough walking.”
It was just last August Port club president David Koch came out to emphatically declare Hinkley would be at the club in 2023 after speculation over the coach’s future.
Despite a sensational Round 1 win over the Lions, the Power copped a 71-point hiding from Collingwood and then coughed up the last six goals of the game to lose the Showdown to Adelaide.
Tredrea said he could sympathise with the “really uncomfortable position” Hinkley has found himself in. But the club needed to make a “tough” call.
“Only Ken can answer if he’s up for the fight,” he said.
“He’s on a hiding to nothing before the season started.
“To be kicked off against your arch rival in your guernsey you fought so hard for and to give up six goals without a whimper … there were no answers.
“The longer this goes on … I can’t see Ken being recontracted.
“Ken was always in an untenable situation heading into this year.”
Port Adelaide have coughed up a whopping 39 goals in two games in a worrying sign that they “can’t stop the bleeding”.
“It’s going to start to bite Port Adelaide in the hip pocket if they don’t seriously consider where they are going,” Tredrea warned.
“You want to state the facts – they are playing poorly. It looks like the message is not getting through.
“They got beaten up by a team that’s in total rebuild mode.
“(Hinkley) is not silly. He knows he’s under the pump. He knows he’s probably going to have to get to a prelim final to win the job, get an extension.
“But they are a long way from the team that’s going to play off in a prelim.
“They are no guarantee to play finals now.”
Tredrea said the Power had a coach who “could be ready to go” in Josh Carr, who the club lured home from Fremantle in the off-season.
“When Josh Carr was appointed every fan in the world goes, he’s there to take over,” Tredrea said.
“I think if the club were serious and if I were a board member, you’d have to be having a discussion about where this goes and what it looks like, not just be in complete denial.”
