THE pressure on AFL coaches has never been higher. From the constant public opinions and newspaper headlines to the hours away from family either at the club or travelling for games - it is easy to see why only a select group even want to be involved.
For Ken Hinkley, family forms a key pillar in keeping him in the game. And, it was ultimately the support of his wife, children and grandchildren that saw him accept a contract to remain the senior coach of Port Adelaide for at least another two years.
Having started when the club was at its lowest at the end of 2012, Hinkley has overseen a period of stability and growth. Sunday’s win over Greater Western Sydney made it three top-four finishes in the past four seasons and saw his winning record as coach rise to 146 wins from 244 games at a winning percentage of 59.84.
While admitting his being out of contract had weighed on him at times during the season, Hinkley said once there was a contract offer, the decision to stay on at Alberton was simple.
“It didn’t take long at all,” he explained. “The reality was (General Manager – Football) Chris (Davies) and myself, it was simply a matter of having a conversation around the support the club had given me and the passion I still have for the job with the club.
“It made it pretty simple. Once the question was ‘do you want to?’ and ‘did they want me to?’, it was a simple yes from both parties.”
But the 56-year-old father-of-three said the decision was not just his.
“This is my family’s decision,” Hinkley explained. “I’ve got a great wife Donna who supports me and my family with everything I have to do to do this job and we’ve been doing it for a long time – not just me – we’ve been doing it for a long time now. That can wear you down, that can wear things at home down. It’s a tough job but I’ve got great support at home.
“It's a pretty big job to take on and you don’t just take on the criticism yourself. Your family have to endure a fair bit of that as well.
“But once I’ve got their support, I’ve got the energy and I’ve always loved what I do. I don’t know why sometimes but I can’t wait to get up each day and turn back up.
“Now we’ve got an extended family here in Adelaide. We’ve got grandchildren. We’ve got all those things you build your life around and luckily for us this football club is a complete part of our family as well.
“We did have those conversations around what’s right for us but more importantly am I right for the football club. I didn’t want the club to have someone who didn’t have passion. I’ve still got that.”
As well as those at home, Hinkley sang the praises of the backing he had received from club leadership from Chairman David Koch, Chief Executive Matthew Richardson and General Manager of Football, Chris Davies along with the broader coaching and playing group.
And while he expressed pride at being able to continue on, he said he knew he would continue to be judged for not being able to claim premiership success so far.
“No one gets it more than us internally and the players, myself that we haven’t won a premiership,” he said.
“You’ve got to look at the things we’ve done over that journey and the list changes we’ve made, even now we’ve qualified three out of the last four years in the top four, which is a remarkable performance, but until we achieve the ultimate success, we’ll always get marked on not having achieved what we need to. I get that and I understand the passion for that.
“There’s no one in this football club that works inside the walls that isn’t disappointed about ultimately trying to win and not being successful. Every club sets out to win. It’s a hard, hard industry that we work in and we’re not going to stop trying to turn that into a win at some point.
“I understand our fans’ passion and as a football club, we are who we are because of our fans and their commitment to wanting success is real. I share their passion. I share their commitment.
“I ask them to just stay on board and hang on and stick at it and keep going because everything that’s worthwhile in this world, you’ve got to keep working for.”
Port Adelaide’s playing group was told of the decision to recontract the senior coach at a team meeting on Tuesday afternoon. The reaction was a raucous applause, as could be expected for a group that prides itself on being connected.
It is enhancing that connection that drew Hinkley to coaching from the interchange bench, as he has done since the Round 4 win over Sydney.
“It's hard for me when I talk around that playing group not to get emotional because of the support they gave me and they give me. Every time they go out to play, they give everything they’ve got and I’ve got some great warriors in Trav (Boak) and TJ (Tom Jonas) and Ollie (Wines) that have been there the whole way with me, and then I’ve got this next group of people coming through.
“I value connection, I value care and I hope, actually I don’t hope, I know our players feel the same way around us as a coaching group. They care and are connected with us.
“(Being on the bench) goes back to that care and connection. I think the boys understand and have required and wanted a little bit more close touch when it comes to having conversations within games.
“I’ve got a great supporting group watching from above who can keep us up to date with what’s going on out on the field when we can’t quite see it. The value for us is that the connection from player to me has been really significant.
“I’ve got to be honest; I’ve absolutely loved it because you get a more intense feel for the game. You get a more connected feel for the game. And you know the pressure the players are under. I’m amazed at how they come off and they’re really hurting about what they haven’t been able to get done. They just need some reassurance that they’re really good players and really good people and if they get back out and stick to what they know they can do well, they’ll be ok.”
Hinkley and his side face Fremantle on Sunday, then Richmond a week later to round out the home-and-away season before attacking his sixth finals campaign at the helm.
