Ken Hinkley arrived at Port Adelaide as a breath of fresh air for a club on life support. The players were still recovering from a grand final humiliation five years earlier, and fans had deserted the club in droves. Tarpaulins covered empty seats at home games, highlighting the Power's struggles. 'This club is in a renewal stage,' Hinkley said in his first press conference as coach in late 2012. 'We know what we've got to do, and we know where we've got to go.'
In their first season under Hinkley, Port Adelaide won their first five games, finished in the top eight for the first time in six years, and stunned Collingwood in an elimination final. The tarps were removed as fans returned. In 2014, they reached a preliminary final, falling less than a goal short against eventual premiers Hawthorn. The pain of missing out was dulled by the belief that Hinkley was steering the side in the right direction.
But the Power never reached a grand final under Hinkley, whose 13-year tenure ends on Friday night. Three more preliminary final defeats, including a crushing loss to Sydney last year, became a stain on his record. Club power brokers decided earlier this year to move Hinkley on, with a season-long farewell tour. He now holds the unwanted record for the most VFL/AFL games coached without reaching a grand final, and the fourth-most games without winning a premiership.
Despite this, Hinkley's winning percentage of 58.5% is better than modern-day coaching greats like Alastair Clarkson and Damien Hardwick, but they converted success into premierships. The 2020 flag is perhaps the one that got away, after Port Adelaide topped the ladder all season but lost a preliminary final to Richmond by a goal. This season has been the Power's worst under Hinkley, with eight wins and four heaviest defeats, as the succession plan with Josh Carr added pressure.
Hinkley now concedes it is time to go. 'Didn't make a grand final, didn't win one,' he said this week. 'That's probably what it will be. That's the reality of football. We built the footy club up, we have done really well with lots of things – ultimately we didn't quite get to the end.' His legacy is as much about rebuilding the club and reminding us that there can be different versions of success.
