Port Adelaide 300-gamer Kane Cornes has blasted club chairman David Koch after he appeared to say no one’s job is safe after a horror 2022 season.
The team has made the preliminary final in the last two seasons but not been able to get over the hump to a grand final but have slumped to miss the playoffs, sitting 14 points out of the finals with just two matches remaining.
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It was a slump few saw coming and sparked fury from certain supporters, who plastered a “sack Hinkley” poster over a sign near the club’s headquarters last week.
Although Hinkley brushed it off, his ears no doubt would have pricked up when Koch appeared to state on radio he was “not afraid to make change”.
“It’s not just about one individual person, it’s the whole program. Turn it around or watch out,” Koch told Fiveaa on Monday.
“Every single person’s role will be assessed at the end of the year, as we do each year.”
But for Cornes, those comments were not good enough, believing Koch had bowed to the pressure from the loudest voices.
“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.”
Although it appeared to be somewhat supportive of Hinkley’s position, Cornes continued, calling for Koch to make a decision, whether sacking the long-term coach or wholeheartedly committing.
“The thing that David Koch needs to do is make a call, is he your coach or is he not your coach?” Cornes continued.
“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.
“There are two vacant coaching jobs right now that Ken Hinkley would absolutely be in the mix for, 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 has coached Port Adelaide since 2013 and twice won AFLCA coach of the year but the Power have not made a grand final since 2007.
Hinkley is the second longest-serving coach behind only Mark Williams, the club’s sole AFL premiership winner.
Hinkley’s contract runs until the end of 2023.
Despite the comments, he told Fox Footy’s AFL 360 he knew where he stood as Port Adelaide coach.
“David (Koch) himself has said that he expects me to be coaching Port Adelaide in 2023, as I do and that’s what I am preparing for,” he said.
“I think I’ve been given enough assurances (he’ll see out his deal) through the season, not that I needed them to be fair.
“We all get there’s a finish line for everyone at some point.
“But as I sit here tonight, I’m more than confident that that won’t be at the end of 2022.”
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