Having coached him at both Geelong and Gold Coast, Hinkley possesses intimate knowledge of Ablett's game and the duo remains close.
However, that will all be pushed aside on Saturday night as the Power attempt to notch their fourth straight win to start the season.
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Hinkley said that while he respected the megastar as much off the field as he did on it, he hoped Ablett would falter on Saturday.
"We're very close, we have been for a very long time and I think he's an amazing footballer first and foremost, but I think he's an incredible person," he said.
"Just the way he does things, the way he goes about things, he's a really giving sort of a fella.
"I have obviously very good and fond memories of Gary and look forward to him playing well every other week bar this week."
Having acted as mentor and coach to the 28-year-old for much of his career, Hinkley knows Ablett's game inside-out, but said every AFL coach was in the same boat.
He also described the uncertainty surrounding Ablett's fitness as more smokescreen than injury cloud.
"I have absolutely no doubt he'll play, he's a very competitive person…he's their captain, he's their best player," Hinkley said.
"Everyone's got that (knowledge) on Gary, everyone watches him and we all marvel at what he can do.
"We've got enough knowledge, it's whether we can execute it well enough."
Ablett rates Hinkley as one of the biggest influences in his celebrated career and the pair remain incredibly close.
Hinkley also played with Gary Ablett Snr during his heyday at Kardinia Park and although the debate continues to rage as to who was the better player, Hinkley said he didn't want to split them.
"The best two players I've seen I think they've both got the same names, it's hard to split ... I wouldn't want to do that," he said.
As an assistant at the Suns until the end of last season, Hinkley's familiarity with their game runs deeper.
Although he hoped such knowledge would work for him, the Power coach warned it could also work the other way on Saturday at Metricon Stadium, particularly with former Power coach Matthew Primus now an assistant at Gold Coast.
"I hope it gives you some advantage, sometimes it can give you the opposite I reckon, you can sometimes think you know too much about them," he said.
"Matty (Primus) knows a lot about Port, knows a lot about the players ... he'll certainly have a really good handle on our group ... as I said, like we are, sometimes it can trick you.
"The important thing for us is that we need to focus on what we've been doing."
Harry Thring for AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Harry.
