There has been an ugly and uncomfortable post-script to an all-time classic final, with Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley exchanging words with frustrated Hawthorn players, including Jack Ginnivan, moments after the siren.
The Power booked a spot in next week’s preliminary final against Sydney after holding on for a thrilling three-point win over the Hawks on Friday night.
Cameras captured Hinkley putting his arms out – as if to mimic an aeroplane – then shouting and smiling at Hawthorn players.
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Hawks skipper James Sicily then returned serve at Hinkley and Port Adelaide players before Hawk Luke Breust was chaired from the field after his 300th game.
Port midfielder Jason Horne-Francis confirmed to ABC Sport Hinkley was referring to Ginnivan’s social media post.
“Ken gets really emotional sometimes. He exchanged a few words to you know who,” Horne-Francis told ABC Sport.
“He loves the footy club. He loves to stick up for us. He gets a bit heated.”
Hinkley also confirmed his actions after the match — and indicated he regretted them,
“I’ll be honest. Jack said what he said through the week, and I just told him after the game, he wasn’t going anywhere,” Hinkley told Channel 7.
“I don’t know social media, I just do what I do, I probably shouldn’t have done it, I should apologise to the boys, I shouldn’t have probably done it. But the reality was, you throw something our way, we’re going to throw something back occasionally.”
Two Hawks greats were left disappointed by Hinkley’s actions.
“He doesn’t need to do that,” four-time premiership Hawk Jordan Lewis told Fox Footy. “I think it ruins a good night. What’s the point?
“Surely as a coach you understand where the line is.”
“I thought it was embarrassing. The where he did it and how we did it, you understand Luke Breust was coming off, there was going to be a guard of honour recognising a champion of the game after 300 games – I don’t think there was anything to gain.
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“If he wanted to have a bit of playing during the week, well say it then. I don’t think you gain anything saying it after the game and to think it’s not going to get talked about. I think it’s embarrassing from Ken’s point of view.”
Luke Hodge said on Channel 7: “As a coach, that’s pretty disappointing. I reckon Ken as a coach would sit back and go ‘we’ve just had a great win, we should be talking about how our team we played’. Instead the coach is mouthing off to the opposition side. Pretty poor form.”
Coaching icon Mick Malthouse on ABC Sport: “There’s one thing you do as a coach when you win. You shut up.”
Triple premiership Lion Jonathan Brown said “the karma bus has got” Hawthorn.
“It’s a great leveller, this game. Kenny would have used every bit of that. He definitely would have used it as motivation,” Brown told Fox Footy.
Source Agencies
