A Lingering Farewell: Ken Hinkley Faces Criticism After 91-Point Defeat to Collingwood

Ken Hinkley’s last season as coach of Port Adelaide commenced on a challenging note on Saturday, as his team suffered a staggering 91-point defeat at the hands of Collingwood.

This disappointing showing from the Power coincides with Hinkley embarking on his final year in charge, with Josh Carr set to take over ahead of the 2026 season.

With alarm bells now ringing, Hinkley acknowledged that his squad was “off the pace” against a more seasoned Collingwood side.

“It was truly disappointing,” he remarked.

“Our performance was nowhere near the level it had been during the pre-season.”

“Collingwood defeated us in the same manner they have in the past, being more physical around the contest and capitalising on our turnovers.

“We resembled the team that hadn’t played the previous week, whereas they looked like a side that had experienced a wake-up call – we were clearly off the mark.”

While the Magpies had already tasted action in the Opening Round, albeit in a heavy loss to GWS, the 136-45 scoreline raises significant concerns for Port.

Hinkley’s remarks have come under scrutiny, as Richmond legend Jack Riewoldt challenged the coach’s comments during the post-match press conference.

“It was a bit frosty early … he went straight for the journalists,” Riewoldt pointed out on Fox Footy.

“What are your thoughts on the Opening Round narrative? I’m not convinced by it.

“A 91-point defeat is significant, and downplaying it by suggesting Collingwood was more seasoned after their thrashing by the Giants is not a narrative I think is beneficial for Port Adelaide.”

While it’s premature to hit the panic button for the Power, the manner of the defeat is sure to amplify the pressure on Hinkley as he navigates his final season.

AFL legend David King highlighted that there may be “some confusion” within the club.

“This is what a drawn-out farewell looks like,” he explained.

“It certainly creates confusion. It’s challenging to ascertain how it permeates through the club or affects the playing group. Sometimes, subconsciously, you might feel everything is alright, but you may not realise you’re at 99 percent instead of 100.

“If you’re just a touch off at AFL level, you’ll get hurt significantly. You need to act decisively, address the issues, and move forward.”

Another point of contention following the loss was Port Adelaide’s decision to trade Dan Houston to Collingwood.

Kane Cornes was quick to criticise this recruitment and retention misstep, stating, “Trading a contracted Dan Houston for a handful of chips is a textbook example of bad decision-making,” he commented via X during the match.

Port will aim to reclaim a semblance of form in their upcoming clash against Richmond in Round 2, while the invigorated Collingwood faces the Western Bulldogs on Friday night.