Can Port win a premiership under Ken Hinkley?

[Fizzler]

Tarps are irrelevant here too, Collingwood are averaging 63,000 which is the most in the league (and there’s room for nuance regarding some matches being at Marvel stopping more people from going) but even if you bumped that number up to 70,000, they feasibly could cover 30,000 seats if they wanted to.
It opens up the door to a couple things, one being another spot for sponsors to put their logo (and therefore more money to the club) and two being that it’s a way to brand the match day as being more home team focused (something we desperately needed having played at the Crows and SANFL’s HQ).
Let’s take a look at two clubs in the AFL today, first off is Brisbane who’ve close off two bays of seats to place advertising boards. Sure the bays are smaller, but the stadium is 10000 seats smaller than Footy Park, and what difference is there in the premise?

And GWS closed off the majority of the top tier to save money on operating the food stalls up there, and to make the crowds look fuller.


I hope that if these two teams haven’t made a grand final for 10 more years their fans aren’t called ungrateful because a heap of people didn’t turn up to their games 10 years prior.

 

[Taper]

Is this a bit? Nobody forgets. Many of us were on the front lines doing
everything we could to contribute financially.

Fact is, the bulk of the structural framework to rehabilitate the club was already in place well before Keith Thomas, David Koch and Ken Hinkley walked through the doors.

The actual timeline:

• Guernsey rebrand thanks to Lucy Burford’s Planet Teal entry: November 2009 <Link>;

• ‘White Knight’, businessman Gordon Pickard, delivers the first of many philanthropic donations and initiatives to the club: 2009-2013 <Link>;

• ‘One Club’ merger of PAFC & PAMFC at the second attempt off the back of George Fiacchi and Tim Ginever’s campaign: November 2010 <Link>;

• Adelaide Oval redevelopment and associated SA footy governance overhaul gets the go-ahead: 2009-2011 <Link> <Link> <Link> <Link>;

• ‘Back In Black’ debt reduction campaign is announced, ultimately raising $1,000,000+ in donations from past players, coaches, members and fans: March 2011 <Link>;

• Latest AFL media rights deal worth ~1.25b is signed to the end of 2017, deal relies on 17-18 teams with the entries of Suns and Giants (and obviously the ongoing presence of Port Adelaide): April 2011 <Link>;

• Port vs Melbourne final round game moved to pre-redevelopment Adelaide Oval: 30 June 2011 <Link>;

• AFL & SANFL funding package to both Port ($9,000,000) & the Crows ($3,000,000) for seasons 2011/12/13 agreed upon: 30 June 2011 <Link> <Link>;

• KEITH THOMAS APPOINTED CEO: 26 August 2011 <Link>;

• Travis Boak, Robbie Gray, Chad Wingard, Tom Jonas, Brad Ebert, Hamish Hartlett, Justin Westhoff, Jay Schulz and other players who would form the core of the team for years to come are already on the list <Link>

• DAVID KOCH APPOINTED CHAIRMAN: 2 October 2012 <Link>;

• KEN HINKLEY APPOINTED HEAD COACH: 8 October 2012 <Link>;

Whatever the positives and negatives, successes and failings of past and present regimes, you can’t peddle a “ungrateful/ignorant fans, Koch and Hinkley saved them” narrative, given this golden duo didn’t actually arrive on the scene until a year or two-plus after most of the salvation measures were implemented or about to come to fruition.

Why are Port still millions of dollars in debt despite having finance guru David Koch as president?
Also, you can't deny the ability of Port to retain and attract players under Hinkley.
Crows are bigger and more powerful yet they have leaked players like a sieve for years.
Port haven't had a big name player walk out on them since Shaun Burgoyne.

 

[ibd77]

Why are Port still millions of dollars in debt despite having finance guru David Koch as president?
Also, you can't deny the ability of Port to retain and attract players under Hinkley.
Crows are bigger and more powerful yet they have leaked players like a sieve for years.
Port haven't had a big name player walk out on them since Shaun Burgoyne.

Not sure of the accuracy but we halved our debt from 12m to 6m in a 2 year span from 2021 to 2023. Record membership and merchandise sales this season will probably mean another decent debt reduction.

Karl Amon was a decent loss for us in recent times. Would still be in our best 22 as a winger.

 

[tribey]

Why are Port still millions of dollars in debt despite having finance guru David Koch as president?

The debt blew out to $12,000,000 over the COVID downturn. It’s essentially been halved over the past couple of years, and presumably will be chipped into further this season.

It’s worth noting Port reported revenues of $57,100,000 last season — compared to its peers it’s now firmly a mid-sized club with a strong asset base and obvious potential for growth in a two-team market.

The lingering belief it’s an existential minnow but one poor season away from foreclosure could probably do with some updating.

Also, you can't deny the ability of Port to retain and attract players under Hinkley.

Sure, but who left prior to Hinkley’s arrival?

Travis Boak, a Jan Juc native, resisted insane overtures from Geelong to stay in July 2012, having already been here for six years and with the club at its lowest ebb.

Robbie Gray, a Vic Metro lad also drafted in 2006, retired as a club icon a decade and a half later.

John Butcher and Jackson Trengove, also Victorian, and both hot properties as youngsters, also decided to sign on around that time.

Brad Ebert, second-gen Port royalty, chose to return home as always expected.

Chuck in the CBD Oval redevelopment and living and working as a pro footballer in Adelaide in 2023 ain’t exactly a 9-to-5 in Baghdad.

Crows are bigger and more powerful yet they have leaked players like a sieve for years.

The earnest answer to that is more trouble than it’s worth, although they’ve improved retention of late.

Port haven't had a big name player walk out on them since Shaun Burgoyne.

A second-generation Port premiership player, born and bred, who wanted a fresh start coinciding with his brother retiring at the end of 2009.

Prior to that the biggest losses were Nick Stevens at the end of 2003 — he’s on record admitting he regrets ever leaving — and Josh Carr who left at the end of 2004 to play with his brother. He obviously returned as a player and is now the heir apparent.

Hinkley’s not exactly holding back a mass exodus, is probably the takeaway.

 

[Taper]

Port have now finished top 4 on seven occasions since Essendon last did, and eight occasions since Carlton last did.
Port have also played in seven preliminary finals since the last time Carlton or Essendon did. Could become eight this year.

What chance do they have of winning a premiership under Ken Hinkley?

 

[sobrave]

Port have now finished top 4 on seven occasions since Essendon last did, and eight occasions since Carlton last did.
Port have also played in seven preliminary finals since the last time Carlton or Essendon did. Could become eight this year.

What chance do they have of winning a premiership under Ken Hinkley?

* all

 

[Elmer_Judd]

Port have now finished top 4 on seven occasions since Essendon last did, and eight occasions since Carlton last did.
Port have also played in seven preliminary finals since the last time Carlton or Essendon did. Could become eight this year.

What chance do they have of winning a premiership under Ken Hinkley?

From what i have seen from Port in the last 6 weeks, I would be genuinely surprised if they aren't bundled out of the finals in straight sets. And Ken is mostly to blame for Port stuttering into the finals.

 

[Checksider]

From what i have seen from Port in the last 6 weeks, I would be genuinely surprised if they aren't bundled out of the finals in straight sets. And Ken is mostly to blame for Port stuttering into the finals.

Every chance they beat Brisbane week 1 of the finals. The winner will have a great chance to make the GF, the loser is reasonably likely to go out in straight sets.

Huge game.

 

[Taper]

From what i have seen from Port in the last 6 weeks, I would be genuinely surprised if they aren't bundled out of the finals in straight sets. And Ken is mostly to blame for Port stuttering into the finals.

Port have been knocked around with injuries in recent weeks hence their form slump. You can't blame that on the coach.
Also do you really think St Kilda or GWS are capable of knocking out Brisbane or Port in straight sets? Saints and Giants are merely making up the numbers.

 

[philthy05]

Lol can all the “port fans should be behind Hinkley” *heads who expect port fans to accept a standard their own clubs and fans don’t adher to stand up and be counted so we can put you in the ‘don’t bother listening to these idiots about anything ever’ box you belong in?



No coach has ever been allowed to coach this long without making a gf.

Port fans had every right to ask that he gets moved on, and it’s disgusting that he got another contract before finals. A gf was the minimum pass mark for him and there’s no way pen should have been put to paper before that.



But our club has been hijacked from port fans by an afl that masquerades as a national league.


Any other clubs Board panics at member unrest.

Why? Cause those members can vote them out. They can vote the lot of them out.

Port fans do not have that power. The afl picks the majority of our board, and get to gatekeep the two positions we can vote on as they get to pick who we can vote on.

It’s a clear handicap, the afl does not have port fans best interest at heart, they only need us to survive, they don’t need us to win cups.

 

[Taper]

Lol can all the “port fans should be behind Hinkley” *heads who expect port fans to accept a standard their own clubs and fans don’t adher to stand up and be counted so we can put you in the ‘don’t bother listening to these idiots about anything ever’ box you belong in?



No coach has ever been allowed to coach this long without making a gf.

Port fans had every right to ask that he gets moved on, and it’s disgusting that he got another contract before finals. A gf was the minimum pass mark for him and there’s no way pen should have been put to paper before that.



But our club has been hijacked from port fans by an afl that masquerades as a national league.


Any other clubs Board panics at member unrest.

Why? Cause those members can vote them out. They can vote the lot of them out.

Port fans do not have that power. The afl picks the majority of our board, and get to gatekeep the two positions we can vote on as they get to pick who we can vote on.

It’s a clear handicap, the afl does not have port fans best interest at heart, they only need us to survive, they don’t need us to win cups.

AFL don't care about the SA and WA clubs as long as they're not financial basketcases. Sad but it's the truth.
West Coast are the only club out of that lot capable of winning flags because they're a heavyweight. The rest can forget it.

SA and WA people who abandoned the SANFL and WAFL to follow the AFL only have themselves to blame though. If you want change then vote with your feet and go back to supporting your state leagues.

Another option is to get behind the NRL because it could lead to the NRL adding new teams in SA and WA.
NRL gaining support in SA and WA along with adding new teams would make the AFL realise they're in danger of killing the goose that lays their golden egg in those states.
Unless you guys vote with your feet then status quo will continue indefinitely.

 

[gungho]

AFL don't care about the SA and WA clubs as long as they're not financial basketcases. Sad but it's the truth.
West Coast are the only club out of that lot capable of winning flags because they're a heavyweight. The rest can forget it.

SA and WA people who abandoned the SANFL and WAFL to follow the AFL only have themselves to blame though. If you want change then vote with your feet and go back to supporting your state leagues.

Another option is to get behind the NRL because it could lead to the NRL adding new teams in SA and WA.
NRL gaining support in SA and WA along with adding new teams would make the AFL realise they're in danger of killing the goose that lays their golden egg in those states.
Unless you guys vote with your feet then status quo will continue indefinitely.

You want people to go back and support what has been the inferior competition for the past 30 years? Not sure how many takers you'll get.

 

[Taper]

11 years as coach of Port with no silverware to show for it.
Straight sets exit from finals after receiving a two year contract extension.

Luke Beveridge has actually won silverware yet receives intense scrutiny from the media.
Why does Ken Hinkley escape media scrutiny?

 

[Scritchyscroony]

Kochie just extended Kenny.
Kenny going nowhere.

 

[Dirty Bird]

Ken joined illustrious Port Adelaide Coaches like John Cahill, Mark Williams, Jack McGargill and Fos Williams by bringing up the ton tonight with his 100th loss for the club.

These coaches average 5 premierships each between them.

 

[jabba5114]

There is none. He has pictures of koch in a compromising position

Sent from my motorola edge 30 pro using Tapatalk

 

[Truetiger]

Kochie just extended Kenny.
Kenny going nowhere.

Kenny here to stay.

 

[ClintEastwood]

David Koch - where is the pressure??

Hinkley stinks, couldn't coach a final to save himself - but he didn't reappoint himself, after 10 unsuccessful years, BEFORE finals.

 

[Bianconeri]

Why do so many average coaches like Goodwin and Hinkley stay well past their use by date?

 

[Danw0w]

Hinkley is a fantastic coach. He has gotten the absolute best out of an average list.

I highly doubt you'd find many (if any) sides that would have beaten the giants tonight with the way they moved the ball. And no one is beating Brisbane at the Gabba at the moment.

 

[ClintEastwood]

Hinkley is a fantastic coach. He has gotten the absolute best out of an average list.

I highly doubt you'd find many (if any) sides that would have beaten the giants tonight with the way they moved the ball. And no one is beating Brisbane at the Gabba at the moment.

lol you're a funny guy

 

[Danw0w]

lol you're a funny guy

Anything constructive to add?

 

[ClintEastwood]

Anything constructive to add?

I thought a good Seinfeld memory was pretty constructive.

I've said everything that needs to be said about Hinkley countless times. Use the search function if you are hanging out for my pearls of wisdom.

 

[snozulu]

 

[Hank Scorpion]

Ken joined illustrious Port Adelaide Coaches like John Cahill, Mark Williams, Jack McGargill and Fos Williams by bringing up the ton tonight with his 100th loss for the club.

These coaches average 5 premierships each between them.

*SANFL premierships

For a club that exists to win flags, they're not too good at it in the AFL