Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley admits a club would be horrified to lose a player such as Jason Horne-Francis after one season, but said Horne-Francis should not be judged for leaving North Melbourne to return to his family.
Hinkley also acknowledged that Horne-Francis, 18 in his first season, could have handled his situation at North Melbourne better and that the 2021 No.1 draft pick would likely be the most scrutinised player on his new club’s list.
Jason Horne-Francis left North Melbourne for Port Adelaide.Credit:Getty Images
Hinkley said the reality of the new football landscape was that young players such as Horne-Francis – whose attitude and exit soured his first season at North – wanted to play in their home states.
“You’d be horrified,” said Hinkley, when asked about how a club would handle losing the top pick in the draft after only one season.
“But Luke Jackson left Melbourne after three years, he was pick three. [Izak] Rankine left Gold Coast to go back to Adelaide. But Jackson from Melbourne – a premiership team.
“The young men of today, they value home. That’s the reality of what we grow up in now.
“No one should stand in judgment of anyone on wanting to return to their family. Things are pretty bad if that’s what we start to judge people on.”
Hinkley said Horne-Francis wanted to be with his family and having his parents, Trish and Fabian, around him would benefit Port Adelaide this year, where he would play midfield and forward.
“They’re really influential people in Jason’s life … that will help us,” he said. “North couldn’t provide that. That’s just reality.
“Let’s not say what did or didn’t happen at North Melbourne, but the reality was, as an 18-year-old boy, who got drafted for the first time, he perhaps didn’t handle the things he would have liked to handle, as well as he would.
“If he was the first or second under-18- or 19-year-old boy who perhaps didn’t handle absolutely perfect, everything he would’ve liked, I’m sure even he would potentially say that.”
Hinkley said the recruit’s attitude was “first class” at Port, having recovered well from vascular surgery to both legs in October. Hinkley expected Horne-Francis would be Port’s most scrutinised player this year. “Yeah, I think he will be.
“I’m sure he knows and I’m sure we all know, the outside scrutiny is real. It will go away when he’s performing at a level I think he can perform at.
“He’s pick one. They normally play pretty well.
“It wouldn’t have held him up too much. It wouldn’t have been perfect for him. The likelihood is he’ll be better this year because of it.
“Yeah, he’ll play early. He’s got to play well enough to play in the team. [But] you don’t become pick one if you’re not.”
Hinkley said Horne-Francis ought not be compared, as he has been with Patrick Dangerfield, Christian Petracca and Dustin Martin, because of his explosive traits and power as a mid-forward.
“I think the reality is … Jason will be Jason. Let’s not try to compare him to anyone and just see. Let’s watch him play and see what he shows us. Even at North, you know I think at round six or seven he was in the top five in their best and fairest at that stage in his first year.
“He’s a 19-year-old boy. He’s quite a freakish talent, but he’s only young.”
Hinkley said Horne-Francis would be better for his major surgery. “If you look at the back of his knees, he’s got two massive scars on the backs of his legs, which you would look at them and think ‘well, he’s going to play footy?’
“He’s had a really good preparation since Christmas.”
Horne-Francis would not replace retired champion Robbie Gray. No one would. “Rob was a genuine classy player; he was tough and hard, but he just made stuff up in real tight confines. Jason’s going to be more explosive outside and run away from teams, he’s got real power.
“He’s [Gray] my GOAT [greatest of all time], at Port, in my time at Port. I was lucky enough to have Travis [Boak], very, very close …
“You don’t replace the talent of Robbie Gray, though. That’s like asking Geelong to replace Joel Selwood.”
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