Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes has blasted the club’s chairman David Koch for his comments on Ken Hinkley’s future at Alberton.
With Hinkley under some pressure to remain as coach next year but contracted for 2023, Koch set a fire under the club’s footy program on Monday morning.
“It’s not just about one individual person. It’s the whole program. Turn it around or watch out,” Koch told FIVEaa.
“Every single person’s role will be assessed at the end of the year, as we do each year.
“But this year (it is) more important than ever and we are not afraid to make change. We have made plenty of changes (before). We have high expectations both on field and off field.”
It’s a change of tone from the Power hierarchy. Just days before, club CEO Matthew Richardson had called out the “disrespectful” comments towards Hinkley, saying: “This is not a reset moment. As we’ve said, Ken’s contracted, he’s our coach and I think sometimes it’s just the fact that it keeps coming up is disrespectful”.
Cornes suggested Koch had caved to the loudest voices on Hinkley.
“This is a classic example of a chairman kicking with the breeze,” he said on SEN SA Breakfast.
“He had felt the angst from the supporter group, he felt like he needed to make a strong statement to alleviate some of the concerns from the very Port Adelaide supporter group who share their feedback regularly.
“Their desire to sack Ken Hinkley right now, Kochie (Koch) listened to that and he’s said, ‘even though my language has been one way all year, with two games to go I’m going to alleviate some of the concerns from the Port Adelaide supporter group and make a big, strong, sweeping statement about the coaching with two weeks to go’: ‘turn it around or watch out’.
“Turn what around? There are two weeks left in the season. What do you need to know in the next two weeks regarding Ken Hinkley’s ability to coach this club that you haven’t already discovered in the last ten years?
“Either make a call or back him in… ‘turn it around or watch out’, what a ridiculous thing to say.”
Cornes isn’t so concerned about what the club decides, as long as a decision is made.
Port Adelaide entered 2022 with the expectation they would once again be at the pointy end of the ladder, but a series of injury and form issues early saw them start the season 0-5.
They’ve somewhat recovered to be 8-12, but won’t play finals in 2022. Given Hinkley’s uncertainty at Port Adelaide, he’s been linked to the vacant jobs at GWS and North Melbourne.
But as Cornes notes, the Port coach can’t apply for other jobs while he’s still uncertain about his future.
“The thing that David Koch needs to do is make a call, is he your coach or is he not your coach? And if he’s not your coach, you have to tell him now so that he has the opportunity and you give him the respect to go and find another job,” the Power Hall of Famer said.
“There are two vacant coaching jobs right now that Ken Hinkley would absolutely be in the mix for it, but he can’t be in the mix for it if he thinks he’s going to be coaching Port Adelaide next year.
“Conversely, if he is your guy and you’ve contracted him for next year, which they have, back him in now. There’s nothing to be learned in the next two weeks that you don’t already know and you haven’t already discovered in the last 10 weeks.
“It was a stupid thing to say, it sent the media into a spin and it now has everyone questioning if Ken Hinkley will be there next year.”
Hinkley and Port Adelaide travel to Marvel Stadium to take on Essendon on Sunday.
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