Premiership Swan Dan Hannebery believes change could be afoot at Port Adelaide after their 73-152 loss to Brisbane at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
While they remain inside the eight for now, the Power have lost their last three games and the pressure is being heaped onto coach Ken Hinkley with the Power faithful booing him during Saturday’s thrashing.
Although Hinkley is contracted to the end of next season, Hannebery thinks that the writing could be on the wall about his future at the club given he’s been in the hot seat since 2013 and has yet to reach a Grand Final. With the way things are going in 2024 so far, it doesn’t look like that’ll change this campaign.
While Hannebery hopes the senior coach can turn things around, he thinks that the result could be damning in terms of his future as the Power will no doubt question all of their processes behind the scenes.
“I think the big thing is that it wasn’t just a big loss, it was a big loss at home,” Hannebery said on SEN Crunch Time.
“When you’re having these big losses at home, it makes it even worse.
“They just looked bereft of anything. They sort of looked listless, which was pretty damning to see.
“It was writing on the wall type of stuff. It does get that feeling that things are coming to an end there.
“Now the booing yesterday we all saw it and we judged it after the game, it wasn’t great to see.
“In the EPL, generally when that happens over there, it’s a sign of the end.
“He’s coached 12 years for no Grand Finals … and when you’re not making a Grand Final in 12 years, generally that’s the time frame you get to try and take a club to a premiership.
“I hope they can try and turn it around because Ken is a great football man and he’s done a great job at different stages, but it’s not looking bright.”
If Hinkley is moved on, AFL Media’s Josh Gabelich says that the general belief in the footy world is that assistant Josh Carr will be the man to replace him.
While Carr has his admirers and has long been considered Hinkley’s successor, Gabelich asked Hannebery if the Power should look from the outside for a new coach if they make a call on Hinkley.
Gabelich: “The general belief in and around footy is Josh Carr will succeed him. Is that the right decision if they come to that?
“He’s been part of that footy program now for a couple of years. Do you need to go and get someone fresh from outside of Alberton?
“Do you need to scour the market and look for someone who’s already in a seat somewhere else and try and bring them across?
“Port Adelaide’s not a minnow, they could go and poach someone. If they make a decision on Ken, would you be looking elsewhere?”
Hannebery: “With the amount of money and resources involved you’d have to be doing your due diligence to see what’s out there.
“Clearly, Josh Carr has got all the credentials. He’s an outstanding football person, knows the game really well and has a good rapport with the players, so that puts him in the box seat.
“But they’d be doing themselves a disservice by not going out and seeing what’s on the market.”
Port Adelaide and Hinkley will be desperate to turn things around when they face St Kilda at Marvel Stadium next Sunday.