The Power came into the game having won just one of their past six and looking a shadow of the side that seemed genuine flag contenders at the season's halfway mark.
With torrential storms in south-east Queensland ruling out any prospect of pretty football, the game became a series of torrid contests.
Port eventually prevailed by nine points in a low-scoring encounter that Hinkley believed would serve his side well in the run towards the finals.
"For us, we know the heartbeat of our team is we have to win the tough football," Hinkley said.
"I think every coach in the AFL would say the same thing: if you don't win the contested possession, you're in trouble.
"(The weather) was perfect. It's what you want the game to be. It's tough and hard, you've got no choice in those conditions.
"It's as simple as getting your hands dirty as much as you possibly can.
"Some people ask why you go away from that - it just happens in a game sometimes.
"I thought early on the Gold Coast were winning things in tight and that makes a difference."
Although the Suns have been a shadow of their former selves since losing skipper Gary Ablett to injury five games ago, Hinkley insisted he still valued the victory very highly.
"There's only two teams that have beaten them up here - that's Hawthorn and Sydney - so that's a pretty good win," Hinkley said.
"I value the win up here, maybe having been here (as a coach). Yes, Gary's not in the team but I respect so much the ability of the team we played today and know how good they're going to be at some stage. They worry me.
"I'm just proud of the way the boys played. We made some blues you just don't want to make in wet weather conditions but that's again another learning thing."
The Power were almost made to pay for not making the most of an incredible inside 50 advantage (72-39), as Gold Coast scored twice late in the fourth quarter, but Hinkley said the weather was a fair excuse for Port's lack of firepower.
"You just can't score in conditions like that," Hinkley said.
"That's as tough conditions as you play AFL football in anymore. Very rarely are playing conditions as bad as that.
"If you have a game when you have 33 more entries, the scoreboard's usually very, very flattering. The Gold Coast, to their credit, stayed in for the fight.
"When you turn up and you're playing in conditions like that, I knew it was going to be a bit of luck that would get you over the line."
