Coach Ken Hinkley - AFL Senior Coach

[ozph1870]

The issue between 2014 and 2015 was that teams were scared s**tless of us going into 2015 and started to play super defensively to kill the slingshot. +2 in defence sort of stuff, where they knew our plan was to break hard at a turnover and bomb it long, so they just sat back and let us do that ensuring that they'd always outnumber us.

We got caught out without a plan B and without a system of ball movement or forward structure that could deal with a defence that was already set up. Disciplined defences absolutely killed us, and we got ground out a lot in low scoring scraps. It was at that point that it became clear that Ken wasn't a genius, he was a one gameplan wonder.

Teams went fully defensive against us in 14 too, we just smashed them with relentless attack on the ball and the scoreboard. It was obvious very early on in 2015 that we had changed the way we went about it. I went back and read the comments, even in preseason where there are no numbers back crap we still slow played the chippy game there. We got it wrong and it killed what we had, slowly destroyed the career of one of the best players we've ever had.
It's irrelevant now anyway, 5 years later and we are still trying to perfect the 1-0 victory.

 

[Schulzenfest]

I still think in 2015 we were generally a good team but we had two very very bad games against the bottom two teams in Brisbane and Carlton (the latter of which also included a world class umpire reaming) and it cost us a finals spot. 2016 was when it all went downhill. It was also not coincidentally the year we hired Nathan Bassett.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

I still think in 2015 we were generally a good team but we had two very very bad games against the bottom two teams in Brisbane and Carlton (the latter of which also included a world class umpire reaming) and it cost us a finals spot. 2016 was when it all went downhill. It was also not coincidentally the year we hired Nathan Bassett.

2015 we went 0-2 against 2014's 5th Freo and 2nd Sydney then were 3-2 after beating PF North, premiers hawks and then the showdown. That was a tough start but at 3-2 it was a good result.

The showdown plus the next 3 games were Sunday 4.10pm games and we lost the 3 of them, playing as if we had enjoyed ourselves on the weekend. The Brisbane loss at the Gabba was diabolical and then we start the AO choking run against the WCE after dominating the play and stats that game over the next few years, and then lost to Richmond in a similar fashion to WCE with terrible kicking efficiency in what was Kane Cornes' last game and went to 3-5.

With the benefit of hindsight I reckon putting Kane first above team to get him to a farewell game was start of the real rot. We should have been ruthless and brave with him - 100% commitment to us or leave.

Then by the time we lose the Phil Walsh showdown, trying to be nice to everyone, we go 6-9, instead of 7-8. Season over. Sure we finish the season well, but beating the Hawks in Rd 21 when they had the queue in the rack re making finals and preparing for September, and Freo sent over Peel Thunder and we ended up being 12-10.

With the benefit of hindsight, 2015 was a preview of the future. A good solid team, hard to beat, Wins a few games against the top teams, but is flaky and will drop games when in winning positions and stumbles against middle class and bottom teams when expected to win - ie bog standard middle of the table team.

 

[TeeKray]

There were some stats floating around that our 2015 draw was statistically the hardest ever recorded, at least at the time. We played all of the eventual top 6 in the first 6 weeks IIRC and still went 3-3. In the context of that, losing to the bottom 2 teams killed us. Win those 2 and we finish 14-8, same as 2014, potentially do some damage in finals, etc.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

There were some stats floating around that our 2015 draw was statistically the hardest ever recorded, at least at the time. We played all of the eventual top 6 in the first 6 weeks IIRC and still went 3-3. In the context of that, losing to the bottom 2 teams killed us. Win those 2 and we finish 14-8, same as 2014, potentially do some damage in finals, etc.

We played the 8 finalists + 5 of them in double up games to make it 13 games against the eventual finalists which we had a result of 6-7, but only 1 side in the top 8, lost 1 game against the bottom 4 sides, and we lost 2 of them.

In the double up games, Adelaide didn't play finals in 2014 and neither did Western Bulldogs. The other double up games against Hawks -1st Sydney 2nd and Freo -5th were tough before the season started, but not uncommon for a preliminary finalist to get a draw like that the next year.

Each year if you look at sides who just miss out on the finals, playing 10 or 11 or 12 games against the 8 finalists isn't uncommon. The finalists usually have 7 games against the other finalist + 3 double up games against eventual finalist = 10. So our 2015 draw based on 2014 placings we had 7+3 = 10 games against 2014 finalists. We ended up playing 13 games against the eventual 8 2015 finalists.

 

[bomberclifford]

Lol the wheel turns. We were all in love. Poor Ken has let us down

Ken shat the bed. Love disappears pretty quickly after that.

 

[Duck Farmer]

As much as I hang sh!t on Hinkley and want him gone tout de suite, I loved it when they cut to the coach's box after Xavier pulled out the bow and arrow and you could lip read him saying "good boy".

 

[Dylan8]

Ken shat the bed. Love disappears pretty quickly after that.

I would love you even if you s**t the bed bomber

 

[bomberclifford]

I would love you even if you s**t the bed bomber

If Mrs Bomber ever leaves me, I’ll give you a hoy.

 

[Marmozet]

2015 we went 0-2 against 2014's 5th Freo and 2nd Sydney then were 3-2 after beating PF North, premiers hawks and then the showdown. That was a tough start but at 3-2 it was a good result.

The showdown plus the next 3 games were Sunday 4.10pm games and we lost the 3 of them, playing as if we had enjoyed ourselves on the weekend. The Brisbane loss at the Gabba was diabolical and then we start the AO choking run against the WCE after dominating the play and stats that game over the next few years, and then lost to Richmond in a similar fashion to WCE with terrible kicking efficiency in what was Kane Cornes' last game and went to 3-5.

With the benefit of hindsight I reckon putting Kane first above team to get him to a farewell game was start of the real rot. We should have been ruthless and brave with him - 100% commitment to us or leave.

Then by the time we lose the Phil Walsh showdown, trying to be nice to everyone, we go 6-9, instead of 7-8. Season over. Sure we finish the season well, but beating the Hawks in Rd 21 when they had the queue in the rack re making finals and preparing for September, and Freo sent over Peel Thunder and we ended up being 12-10.

With the benefit of hindsight, 2015 was a preview of the future. A good solid team, hard to beat, Wins a few games against the top teams, but is flaky and will drop games when in winning positions and stumbles against middle class and bottom teams when expected to win - ie bog standard middle of the table team.

Hawthorn had Top 2 to gain that night.

 

[elee]

Ken shat the bed. Love disappears pretty quickly after that.

yep ..can't force us to luv Kern's weird ways & as usual - we nearly done & dusted. I said NEARLY because of that sliver of hope yesterday.

we're fighting 5 teams for the remaining 2 spots (7/8th) would be crazy for the bombers to crap all 3 remaining games. The way I see it - there is only 1 spot up for grabs at business end of the season with still 3 rounds. What say you all??

 

[Greymatter]

yep ..can't force us to luv Kern's weird ways & as usual - we nearly done & dusted. I said NEARLY because of that sliver of hope yesterday.

we're fighting 5 teams for the remaining 2 spots (7/8th) would be crazy for the bombers to crap all 3 remaining games. The way I see it - there is only 1 spot up for grabs at business end of the season with still 3 rounds. What say you all??

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I had is finishing 8th and bailed out by the lions in EF1.

All our remaining games are winnable. Tough, but winnable.

 

[tribey]

2016 was when it all went downhill.

Those first two games against St Kilda and Adelaide were the most incoherent football I’ve ever seen from an AFL side.

It was like we were full of soccer converts unaware there was no offside rule.

Trengove saying after the Showdown belting that we were still learning the gameplan and there were times when the players were confused.

What were they doing in the preseason? Just spending all day getting smashed by Burgess? So ramshackle.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Hawthorn had Top 2 to gain that night.

Maybe, but being dual premiers, they wouldn't have that been desperate to get it like 2012 or 2013, or like WCE or Brisbane will be this year to avoid being 3rd and having to travel 5 hours to play a QF, instead of at home.

 

[The Rubber Man]

IF we win all 3 of our final games ill jump back on the ken train.

Strong end to the year, kids getting experience, Dixon getting a pre-season under his belt and a year guys like Burton and Lycett learning our systems and teamates. Ill go into next year with hope.

Especially if we can somehow swap S.Gray for Fantasia.

But if we stumble and have terrible performances after good a win which has been the pattern this year, wont go into next year with heaps of hope.

 

[Miss December]

It's finally time: as someone clever said on this board "Sack him, sack him now and sack him hard"

 

[Jones2ByrneJones]

he told me that Port will be sorry that they got Hinkley because he was very arrogant at the GC Suns and most of the blokes didn't like him.

I'm sorry I ever doubted you

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

IF we win all 3 of our final games ill jump back on the ken train.

Strong end to the year, kids getting experience, Dixon getting a pre-season under his belt and a year guys like Burton and Lycett learning our systems and teamates. Ill go into next year with hope.

Especially if we can somehow swap S.Gray for Fantasia.

But if we stumble and have terrible performances after good a win which has been the pattern this year, wont go into next year with heaps of hope.

The train has been cancelled.

 

[elee]

I had is finishing 8th and bailed out by the lions in EF1.

All our remaining games are winnable. Tough, but winnable.

Still wwwinable..?