MATTHEW NICKS says he and Port Adelaide senior coach Ken Hinkley share the same football philosophy and is looking forward to working as part of the Power’s new-look football department.

Nicks is the Power’s new defensive coach and is the fourth senior change within the club’s football operations after Hinkley, coaching director Alan Richardson and high performance manager Darren Burgess joined the club in October.

A former Sydney backman, Nicks’ promotion comes after several years working with the club’s younger players as a development coach.

He revealed Hinkley’s shared passion for the defensive aspects of the game and says his experience playing at the Swans meant it was a logical decision to step into a higher role.

“Ken and I have similar philosophies on football and how it should be played,” said Nicks.

“Defence has always been my passion coming from a Sydney background.

“It’s how we went about things.

“To come into that role with Ken sharing my passion for defending it was really a no-brainer.”

Although officially confirmed in the role on Tuesday, Nicks has maintained relationships with the club’s backs over the past season as an assistant to former defence coach Brad Gotch.

He has been impressed by the attitude of the Power's new recruits and is excited by the flexibility they offer the team down back.

“I learned a lot from Brad over the last 12 months [who was] our defensive coach, and I’ve got a relationship already built with a number of players like (Alipate) ‘Bobby’ Carlile and Jackson Trengove,” said Nicks.

“A number of the young guys we’ve got in we may look at using at half-back at some stage.

“Seeing them in the flesh and running around with our guys is really exciting.”

Nicks will be replaced in football development by former Power player Stuart Cochrane while Brad Gotch relocates to the club’s Melbourne office as an opposition analyst.