KEN Hinkley has strongly indicated the poor performance delivery within the Port Adelaide playing group will be reflected at the selection table.
Following the Power’s narrow 10-point loss to Sydney, Hinkley said there comes a point where players who don’t deliver on expectation won’t be given a place in his AFL 22.
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While he refrained from singling out individuals in his frustrated assessment of another ‘patchwork’ display, Hinkley indicated in-form SANFL players could be rewarded for consistent form when his selection committee meets early next week to pick Port’s team to face Collingwood.
“You’re strong and you support people and you give them opportunities [but] there comes a point where you’ve got to make some change,” Hinkley said after Thursday’s loss.
“That’s my responsibility as coach, to reward people if they deserve to come up, but also make sure people understand there’s a level you have to deliver to hold your spot in the side.
“We’ve been really strong and supportive of the group and we want to still have a lot of trust in them, but there’s some obvious things going on out there when there comes a time [to make change].
“There’s players who aren’t in good enough form to play AFL football at the moment. We have to be prepared to look at that.”
The patchy football that Port Adelaide continues to produce sees it stagnating in the bottom half of the ladder having not produced a consistency capable of boosting its now 5-8 ledger.
Hinkley says the Power deserves its ladder position – currently twelfth – with another eight games to play in Round 14.
“That’s the thing that frustrates me the most because I know when we deliver it we can play good strong footy, we can play very good AFL football,” Hinkley said.
“But you can’t be a side that delivers patches.
“You get what you deserve when you deliver in patches, and for us, right now, that’s 5-8 score on the ladder.”
