Unofficial Preview Sack Hinkley 2: Septic Portaloo

[ClickBOOM1870]

It's laughable to think that you propose there will be Ken supporters who would potentially stop supporting the club because Ken is gone. There is not a single supporter of Ken who would stop supporting the club if he was sacked, outside of his family. Such a proposition to think on the contrary is beyond absurd.

The poor finish to this year will see attendance and membership drop in 2020 if Ken stays. We are already seeing crowd numbers drop as this season has progressed. The GWS game on a Saturday night was perfect weather and we still had a rubbish crowd. It's not going to.get any better unless there is reason for optimism going forward. Optimism doesn't come whilst Ken is coach given his recent history.

If crowd numbers continue to drop, expecting a further drop off of 3k members at a minimum of $200 is 600k, and I'm being extremely conservative. And once you lose members it's hard to get them back in the short term. It's imperative the club does everything they can to keep the membership numbers from falling because that will have a long lasting effect far beyond Ken's time at the club.

There's enough talent to suggest that this team can contend with the best of them on our day. If we brought in a new coach, i would certainly try to have one more crack with a few vets but if we failed then obviously you go full scale rebuild.

Given that 2020 is our 150th, the club isn't going to do such a rebuild in a crucial year for the club as a whole. And given that we know for the most part what Ken is going to deliver in 2020 with the same squad, looking elsewhere seems to be the only logical decision moving forward.

I don’t accept the view that we lose 3000+ members purely because we dont sack Ken.

I agree we stand to lose 3000+ members, but in my view the majority of them will be fairweather supporters who are sick of paying for our frustrating on-field performances and a few hundred might not renew purely because we didn’t sack Ken.

Sacking Ken means $1.6m dollars instantly goes up in smoke. $1,600,000, just like that. *NTTAWWT* Gone.

Keeping Ken for 2020 means we don’t have to find (borrow) another $1.6m AND we have the opportunity to look for other ways in which to retain those 3000+ members and thus limit the loss of revenue to some extent.

Can see the club backing itself to do exactly that. We’ll trade aggressively, bring in some exciting talent including a father/son, we’ll plaster Rozees face everywhere and use our 150th anniversary campaign to generate excitement and membership.

 

[Jason K]

I don’t accept the view that we lose 3000+ members purely because we dont sack Ken.

I agree we stand to lose 3000+ members, but in my view the majority of them will be fairweather supporters who are sick of paying for our frustrating on-field performances and a few hundred might not renew purely because we didn’t sack Ken.

Sacking Ken means $1.6m dollars instantly goes up in smoke. $1,600,000, just like that. *NTTAWWT* Gone.

Keeping Ken for 2020 means we don’t have to find (borrow) another $1.6m AND we have the opportunity to look for other ways in which to retain those 3000+ members and thus limit the loss of revenue to some extent.

Can see the club backing itself to do exactly that. We’ll trade aggressively, bring in some exciting talent including a father/son, we’ll plaster Rozees face everywhere and use our 150th anniversary campaign to generate excitement and membership.

Nah, you are wrong. Everyone has had a gutful of the joker and he will cost us more than he saves us

 

[El_Scorcho]

I don’t accept the view that we lose 3000+ members purely because we dont sack Ken.

I agree we stand to lose 3000+ members, but in my view the majority of them will be fairweather supporters who are sick of paying for our frustrating on-field performances and a few hundred might not renew purely because we didn’t sack Ken.

Sacking Ken means $1.6m dollars instantly goes up in smoke. $1,600,000, just like that. *NTTAWWT* Gone.

Keeping Ken for 2020 means we don’t have to find (borrow) another $1.6m AND we have the opportunity to look for other ways in which to retain those 3000+ members and thus limit the loss of revenue to some extent.

Can see the club backing itself to do exactly that. We’ll trade aggressively, bring in some exciting talent including a father/son, we’ll plaster Rozees face everywhere and use our 150th anniversary campaign to generate excitement and membership.

Other ways to retain those members? How? Memberships are about selling hope.

I think you're underestimating the discontent, and just how widespread the anger at the coaching situation is. It's not just lower membership, it's lower attendances, less merchandise, and ultimately less ability to cash in on the 150th celebrations.

$1.6mil is $30 a member. It's going to be easier to rattle the tin and raise that than it is to sell hope to a supporter base who have stopped believing, and know full well that the coach is only in place because we couldn't afford to sack him.

 

[GremioPower]

Watch this space the next week. Everyone is expecting us to beat Adelaide, but knowing how inconsistent we are this year, and our not-so-great record at Ballarat, I think there's a very decent chance we muck up, paving the way for you guys to thrash Fremantle and sneak into the 8.

Your "not-so-great record at Ballarat" has only 4 matches, and it is due to two losses against Port. You have won the other two games:

R22 2017 - Port 96-79 Foot
R7 2018 - Foot 81-72 GC
R19 2018 - Port 78-34 Foot
R8 2019 - Foot 92-76 Fitz

Since you are not playing Port, I assume y'all will be fine.

 

[Joelg]

The sharks are circling, i sense blood in the water

 

[Kingfish73]

The writing really is on the wall with this.

Ken's position is untenable.

If we don't sack him Monday morning, it's because we can't afford to. There is no other valid reason. If we're going into the 2020 season with a coach who is only here because we mismanaged his contract, then some people who drew up and signed off on that contract need to fall on their swords.

And then we need to sack him anyway and the incoming administration will need to start off by dealing with the financial fallout. The most obvious ways of doing that are a debt demolition campaign and cashing in hard on our 150th season merchandise and events.

I'm sure a club with 50,000 members can raise $2,000,000 or whatever it costs by rattling the tin. It's $40 a member. The framing is so easy. Just say that a bad football decision was made and that decision needed to be corrected ASAP, it's put the club back financially and we need to raise some money to cover the loss. Actually being honest with the members about the financial situation and admitting fault will see us very quickly rally and do what's required to solve this issue.

We should also be pressuring the AFL to find that soft landing to ease the burden on us. Ultimately, Koch and KT are AFL appointed and this mess is more the AFL's fault than any Port supporter.

Clap clap. Give this man a prize!

 

[Tandy]

I think the optimism and excitement of landing a new coach, along with the development of the young guns and the 150 celebrations will cover the cost of paying Hinkley out.

 

[Us against the rest]

Yeh but those coaches have achieved something in those 7 or 8 years..Top 4, a Grand Final or a Flag etc.
Kens resume reads a Prelim and fu** all since...#killme #TopOfHisGame

Some of those coaches were actually coaches when the started their innings, what was Ken to demand such a high pay check.

 

[sobrave]

Can see the club backing itself to do exactly that. We’ll trade aggressively, bring in some exciting talent including a father/son, we’ll plaster Rozees face everywhere and use our 150th anniversary campaign to generate excitement and membership.

Gee, I'm excited already that sounds great.

 

[Us against the rest]

People keep saying the performance clause was a sign of mediocrity with Ken only needing to make finals once in 2018,19 or 20. Which is true but it's a good thing it's in his contract. Ken and his manager signed the contract with the clause in it because they didn't take it seriously. After making finals in 2017 Ken nor his manager would never have thought Ken would miss finals in 18 and 19 . They would not have expected next year to be do or die.If the contract was a straight 3 year deal Ken would still have a guaranteed 2 years left instead he has only one guaranteed year which is why I think they are considering a negotiated 1 year payout end of this season. So the clause in the end may save us.

I could of understood the clause if it said, top 4 by 2019, is what would trigger 2020.
Our bar is set so low it's laughable, a first year coach could surpass what Hinkley has achieved with our list.

 

[jwint43]

I think one of the big issues for Port is that they have the "we are a club that plays finals" mantra. Now Ken has come out and said basically next year is finals or bust. This makes every game have a heightened sense of urgency and means the players are on edge every game. I don't think this kind of mentality is sustainable when at the start of every season the expectation is you make finals when the reality is this list has made it once in 5 years or whatever it's been and so you get to round 16/17 and you're playing virtual elimination finals every week. Similar clubs who are around the mark say "if we make finals, great" but Port players and staff know that if they don't make it the season is a complete write off and I think Ken contributes to this with his "brutal honesty" which the media laps up. It's not healthy.

 

[sobrave]

Happy ken sacking day!

I've got a good feeling about today

 

[finbarr]

Happy ken sacking day!

I've got a good feeling about today

I wouldn’t be expecting much to happen before this weekend if I were you.

 

[Jojay]

Rest easy peeps...

I had a vivid dream. There will be a press conference on Monday.

#MysticJojay

 

[AFC AFeederClub]

i want him gone by monday, i want the board to be decisive and not muck around for 3 weeks working out if they should or they shouldnt, get some guts and CALL IT AS IT IS and if you cant do that quite the board, thats you Kevin Osborn, Holly Ransom, Vanstone, Restas, Cos, Gav & Thiele. Own your own decision and im pretty sure Kens payout can comeout of your own pockets without too much damage.

 

[PA88]

KT and the Crows admin negotiated a new stadium deal and clearly failed miserably in what was our first real chance with some genuine leverage to get us set for the future.

Both clubs should hang their heads in shame at the utter defeat they suffered in that crucial stage.

Absolute ******* failure.

In hindsight we had an inexperienced CEO who has since shown he sucks at landing important deals in control of our most important deal in our clubs history. Our chance for salvation and rivers of money from a lucrative new stadium.

Instead we end up with extremely poor returns and sponsorship cloak and dagger where we get little money for major sponsorships.

Look at the reality. We have a small time guy in a big time role. He was never suited for this long term. There is a reason he was "casual keith". He isn't the tough narcissistic operator that are typically found in successful CEO roles.

I dont have experienced in this area whatsoever and depend entirely on what I read in the papers. You or somebody may help to clarify it but I'm sure when we moved to AO, the SMA was formed, yet the two clubs' licences were still held by the sanfl. The SMA contained some same people from the sanfl, most importantly Olsen. The AFL appeared to be mediators in the discussions whilst the clubs attempted to negotiate new deals but once again not from an autonomous position. i.e. not having club representatives on the SMA In my view the clubs were still shackled and the AFL had limited influence over the SMA.

 

[Comettski_1]

I had an interaction with someone reasonably high up in the club recently and expressed (among other things) my thoughts on Ken. The response was that there would be action soon. Could be about Ken or something else, there were no specifics. It’s happening???

 

[AFC AFeederClub]

I had an interaction with someone reasonably high up in the club recently and expressed (among other things) my thoughts on Ken. The response was that there would be action soon. Could be about Ken or something else, there were no specifics. It’s happening???

most of these blokes are professional rats, they sense what you want to hear and tell you as much, i'll believe it when i see it

 

[raptalia]

There is one significant fact that has emerged over the past few days. Ken Hinkley's contract has an auto extension into 2021 provided we make the finals in 2019. From that I deduce that if we do not make the finals this year and Hinkley is paid off at the end of this year we would only be liable for the 2020 salary as the 2021 auto extension clause has not been triggered.

I think this is a significant development that appears to have passed through to the keeper with many of us. Ken could be sent packing with one year's salary not two as was previously assumed. In my view the chances of Ken being sent packing at the end of the year have increased substantially.

I guess it will get down to Koch backing his words up with some action.

 

[Jones2ByrneJones]

I think one of the big issues for Port is that they have the "we are a club that plays finals" mantra. Now Ken has come out and said basically next year is finals or bust. This makes every game have a heightened sense of urgency and means the players are on edge every game. I don't think this kind of mentality is sustainable when at the start of every season the expectation is you make finals when the reality is this list has made it once in 5 years or whatever it's been and so you get to round 16/17 and you're playing virtual elimination finals every week. Similar clubs who are around the mark say "if we make finals, great" but Port players and staff know that if they don't make it the season is a complete write off and I think Ken contributes to this with his "brutal honesty" which the media laps up. It's not healthy.

Lol. Only a St Kilda fan would content themselves with mediocrity and consider finals to be too hard.

We exist to win premierships.

 

[Chachi]

I reckon the finals clause will be for next year Raptalia otherwise there is no way Hinkley would have mentioned it.

 

[Duck Farmer]

October 2020 can come soon enough for Port. The 150th anniversary is proven to be really costly.

For me, it feels like Grêmio's 2003 Centennial all over again. It took us THIRTEEN YEARS to overcome it. It felt like a devil's bargain in which the devil didn't deliver his part of the deal, but still demanded us to fulfill our obligation.

We should roll the 150th anniversary over into the following year like we're doing with Boaky's paycheque.

 

[Magus]

Ken's demeanour in the box on Sunday will tell you everything you need to know about his future.

If he sits there motionless sipping on a coke can, he's gone.

 

[jwint43]

Lol. Only a St Kilda fan would content themselves with mediocrity and consider finals to be too hard.

We exist to win premierships.

Good luck with that!

 

[Tredz]

Ken's demeanour in the box on Sunday will tell you everything you need to know about his future.

If he sits there motionless sipping on a coke can, he's gone.

He does that every week