Naïve and stupid is how I feel after allowing myself to be seduced by Port Adelaide in 2021. Why did I think this year was going to be any different to the disappointment we have come to expect from Port Adelaide for the best part of 20 years?
Finishing the 2021 campaign with the worst home finals defeat in AFL history for a non-Victorian team is incriminating. Just another one for the Port record books to be filed under disaster next to 119.
Last Friday, Melbourne became the 11th different team to qualify for a grand final since Ken Hinkley has been Port Adelaide senior coach.
The historical evidence and trends are conclusive. Not capable to compete consistently with the best teams in the competition over a significant period.
Despite this, Hinkley has maintained a level of internal support that no other coach in the competition would be gifted, and it cannot be neglected any longer.
The Cult of Ken will contend, how do I know if an unproven AFL senior coach could do a better job? The answer is, I don’t know. But using this very logic Hinkley would not have been appointed at Port Adelaide to begin with.
On 5AA radio Monday morning, David Koch disappointingly but not surprisingly all but assured Hinkley was safe for the 2022 season.
“This year was the best win-loss record since 2004. The foundation Kenny has built, the team that he has built is applauded right throughout the industry.”
Ken Hinkley is seemingly safe – for now, at least (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Sharing the blame
What transpired against the Bulldogs must be a line in the sand moment and catalyst for real change at Alberton.
It is easy to call a poor performance an aberration if you have some recent success to fall back on.
Port Adelaide has zero. Two finals wins, in seven years.
Assistant coach Jarrad Schofield has accepted a coaching role at West Coast so that will be one forced change but the arrival of Shaun Burgoyne to contribute across various roles is a positive acquisition.
Nathan Bassett and Michael Voss have been long-term mainstays and perhaps a change is required in this space.
The underlying concern is the Power has overturned a whole host of assistant coaches and players in the last nine years without success while one constant has remained.
Shuffling a few line coaches and cosmetic change without looking at the root cause is feasibly the best Power fans can hope for as the current board does not appear to have the fortitude to initiate change.
The complete lack of motivation and unprofessional mindset for the preliminary final is an issue that will require deep analysis within Alberton and should include a complete external review.
Blame will justifiably be shared between both coaching staff and players. Quite simply, what in the hell happened in the two-week period between the qualifying and preliminary final?
(Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
We kept hearing from all at Port it was the perfect preparation. Most social media content during this time was players laughing and having fun at training or playing golf and enjoying life.
Maybe it was the perfect preparation for annual leave but not in bracing for the most challenging and important game of the season to date.
Skipper Tom Jonas admitted as much in an interview on the Rush Hour on Triple M: “We played like we were still on holidays.”
List management
Changes to the playing squad each year are inevitable. Delisting players like Tyson Goldsack, Joel Garner and Hamish Hartlett who were not involved in the preliminary final was predictable.
Whether players who disgraced themselves in the Bulldogs massacre face consequence will become clear in the trade period and if we see any change to the leadership group.
Some tough conversations and decisions that may not prove popular need to transpire.
Media outlets have reported that Steven Motlop has been offered a new contract, with general manager Chris Davies all but confirming this.
A new deal for the 30-year-old after a six-disposal game against the Dogs is impossible to fathom.
Sydney Swan Jordan Dawson is seeking a trade back to South Australia and he would be a welcome arrival in the off-season and the Power have been strangely linked with Jeremy Finlayson.
Moving the goal posts
In recent years, much of the displeasure from fans has been caused by Port Adelaide setting KPIs with their members and the wider football public which they fail to adhere to.
In 2017, the forecast was the Power would win finals – instead, they lost an elimination final to West Coast.
In 2018 and 2019, the Power did not qualify for the finals. David Koch declared this a failure: “Our pass or fail mark that we set ourselves is making the finals.”
Suddenly in 2020 the club declared the premiership was the target, with the club celebrating its 150th anniversary. (Now is not the time for the Port Power not Port Adelaide debate.)
Ken Hinkley himself at the start of this season echoed the same sentiments: “We plan on 2021 being a winning season for us and that’s a premiership.”
It is easy to lay blame with the fans for expectations but the above are all are failed club objectives.
Earlier this year, CEO Matthew Richardson launched the Chasing Greatness Strategy.
A target of winning three premierships within five years.
Actually making a grand final would be a good place to start.
The response
No AFL club will get two better chances to play in a grand final than Port in the last two years and these golden opportunities have been spurned.
There are plenty of members who still have complete faith in the key stakeholders and direction of the club.
These are the supporters that professional teams love. The true believers who buy memberships with unconditional support, and will always defend the club, and everyone associated even when logic dictates otherwise.
It did take a few days after the preliminary final, but Matthew Richardson sent an email to members, so credit where due even if it did seem a lot like a stage-managed PR piece.
The CEO declared this week, “Winning takes courage. Courage to believe in our plan and our people and what we are doing.”
That is not courage, that is incompetence. The actions in the coming weeks will either see the penny finally drop or the fears of many Port fans will be validated.
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. History is not going to judge the most unsuccessful era for Port Adelaide kindly.
Liam Sheedy
Roar Guru
Yes, Mark Williams was certainly under pressure at the end of 2003. But I guess the two things in his favour was he was at the end of his fifth year not his ninth. Had 2004 been a failure that could have been deep trouble. The end of 2003 did see Port make some tough list management decisions. Players like Stephen Paxman who played every game in 2003 were moved on. The move of Chad Cornes to CHB was an important structural change. The heat was put on players like Adam Kingsley. I am just not sure things will be as ruthless under the current regime.
Liam Sheedy
Roar Guru
Yes I will certainly concede it is much more difficult to play in an AFL Grand Final compared to the SANFL of days gone by. But the majority of teams have managed to get to the last dance in the last 10 years, Port haven't. A Premiership next year will certainly shut up people like me who challenge the club on the KPIs they declare. They just need to create some history to do it because historically AFL clubs do not give one coach so long in charge without any success.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Liam that’s a senior coaches role
Liam Sheedy
Roar Guru
Next year will be year 10. Hopefully lucky 10! I think we can see Ken Hinkley builds wonderful relationships with his players and is well respected internally. I think if Port are not going to make a coaching change which is likely the case then they need an assistant with some tactical nous who takes on more gameday responsibility.
Cliff
Roar Rookie
Yes I think you are right. In round 23, Port stopped the dogs momentum keeping the ball off them, chipping it around, tiring them out. They clawed back a 3 goal deficit and scraped home by 2 points. However the pressure in finals makes this so hard to maintain. There is more energy in defence, more pressure on the kicks and it only takes a costly turnover to make it look terrible. At times Port tried to do this again, had half a dozen possessions to end up nowhere. It is a style that won’t win many finals.
BillyW
Roar Rookie
The grapes must be sour where you are from K2K....most Port fans acknowledge Kens contribution (with Kochie and Keith) in dragging us off the carpet and getting our list to a spot where we are challenging. And although we count success as Flags won he will be lauded for that even if the job is finished by someone else....most port fans would also view this article as words, clichés and not much substance or foresight. I doubt "fortitude" would be a word I would use to describe a board that would sack a guy after getting a youngish list to 2 prelims and has 2 years left on paper ...but after being brave enough as a club to set (publicly) big goals it would not surprise if they cut him short on this contract if he doesn't go a step further next year.....having said that, it is a long way to get back to even this close.......... Most of the cream on our list has been drafted, developed or developing but we'll take your Dawson for 16, a fair trade....the only way you get Hayes as well is if you throw in Horse! (sorry if this comment is all over the shop, it's my 3rd attempt after the first 2 just didn't post!?)
BillyW
Roar Rookie
lol, most of our good players have been drafted and developed, a lot of the ones you mention are "developing"....and imagine 21 year olds showing a lack of maturity! I must have have interpreted comments differently to you also as most Port fans acknowledge Kens contribution and realise next year is another chance for him and call BS on the writers belief the board doesn't have the fortitude to sack a guy who has got a youngish list to 2 prelims..... because it would in fact be stupid! The fact that the club is brave enough to publicly set expectations is the Port way........we judge success on flags won sure but Ken will be lauded for raising us off the canvas (with Kochie and Keith) even if the job he started is finished off by another in the next few years.............history will confine this article to the waste bin, as it deserves. But back to you K2K...we'll take your Dawson for 16 but Hayes stays, they'll be no players if you want 16 as it's about right...the grapes must be sour where you are hopefully our list will prove you wrong (it is after all younger than the Dogs and Dees and will most likely be younger again next year....Hub mate I would have let Motlop go!)
BillyW
Roar Rookie
Hopefully they are baseless rumours....I have seen him berate a team mate for not using him then selfishly miss a prayer (ignoring better options) then miss a sitter! Besides we are apparently parasitical with recent trading....if you ignore the meaning of the word and the fact most of our very best players were drafted and developed or developing! I hope Clurey stays but he is too good for SANFL
Kick to Kick
Roar Rookie
Don’t know a single Swans supporter who was not very upset to see Aliir go. But equally because he was very popular at Sydney, Swans fans are pleased he’s done well and made all Australian. So good for Port in getting the best out of him. The main point of my original observation.is that the many comments here from Port fans baying for Ken Hinkley’s blood seem to an outsider to be underrating a coach who seems like a good man getting a decent output from a playing group that lacks the star power or depth of a Melbourne or Western Bulldogs.
Pelican
Roar Rookie
What does being gratefull have to do with self pitty. The two things are unrelated. Sydney and Port came to an amicable trade. You are the only one who seems hurt by it.
Kick to Kick
Roar Rookie
Aliir was not put up for trade. Port identified that they wanted him, targeted him and made a very substantial offer. Though the Swans wanted to keep him and offered him a contract extension it was a hard offer for Aliir to refuse. There’s a difference between picking up players who want to go and deliberately trying to prise them away. But yes no team has clean hands on this stuff. Oh- and if Port fans want to wallow in self pity – go for it.
Pelican
Roar Rookie
I'm pretty sure trading for players is not parasitic behaviour. Standard practice for sports teams. Aliir Aliir was put up for trade by his own club so that does not really fit the definition either. Just one other thing. Telling others when they should be gratefull is pretentious
ChrisH
Roar Rookie
Weird how Port has a thing for screwing up finals chances. I think their horror run from 2001-03 still tops the last couple of years. However, maybe there's hope in there, because after losing consecutive prelims ('02, '03), they got thru in '04 and won the whole shebang. And plenty of people were calling for the coach's head then too. Maybe '22 will be this Port's '04?
andyfnq
Roar Rookie
Exactly. The expectations of Port and their fans are often unrealistic, hence the hysteria when they fail to win a premiership whenever they make the finals. News flash, they are very hard to win even when you have a great team and everything goes right; it is why the achievements of the most successful clubs in the modern era are so incredible. Not in the bush leagues now Port! On the bright side, they have a lot of quality youth on their list and are still well placed for a great 2022. Lots of teams would take the "failure" of top 4 and winning 1 final as a great platform for the future :happy:
Maxy
Roar Rookie
Meade was another that missed most the year with a rupture spleen I think it was or something,Hayes has had a knee reconstruction and a couple of other injuries along his short career,Port had 17 surgeries to players on their list this year,during the season,not over the off season,it is not and excuse about what happened the other day .I would agree on Marshall Williams and Farrell I would of said Bonner also 6 weeks ago,he might become a bit of a late bloomer like Amon did. Port have big wraps on Hayes,Ollie Wines has publicly said he prefers roving to him at training than any other Ruckman on our list,so unless Hayes requests a trade he won't be going anywhere,hayes is putting the pressure on Ladhams for sure,I expect Hayes to play a few games next year
Maxy
Roar Rookie
lol I move on pretty quick,am looking forward to trade week and see what surprises bob up
Kick to Kick
Roar Rookie
The injury issue is fair to raise. Kane Farrell 2017 draft is another injury prone pick. Butters, Rozee and Duursma are all fine prospects but all showed a lack of maturity in lasts week’s prelim debacle. Maybe that’s lack of continuity with injury too. And perhaps medical staff rather than Hinkley should be under the pump. But back to under-developed draft picks. Jackson Mead, Dylan Williams haven’t come on. Todd Marshall has been in the system for 5 years and looks just ok. Sam Hayes is the obvious case in point though. 2017 draft. 4 years in the system. Apparently a talent but not a senior game. I reckon Sydney should be asking pick 16 plus Hayes for Jordan Dawson.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Yea l agree it’s the worst result when you witness your team play with no dare or belief look they tried their guts out but with no Zing in your step it’s a bloody train wreck! It can take a good 6 months to forgive but not forget!
Pieter
Guest
So you think there are no trends? Wouldn’t zero grand finals in nine years be an established trend? A trend of not making grand finals….
Maxy
Roar Rookie
Yeah he would be gutted,he is friends with Dads Army [ I think they call them,they are heart and soul people of clubs,help out around clubs for the love of it] So his connection would be strong.It is the way we lost that have people upset the most not the actual losing of the game if that makes sense.