Ken Hinkley is bracing Port Adelaide for plenty of added spice in the hotly anticipated Gather Round grudge match with Hawthorn on Sunday.
The Power coach has been central in the build-up after his major role in the controversial post-script to last season’s semi-final clash.
All eyes will be on Ken Hinkley when his side renews their rivalry with Port Adelaide on Sunday night.Credit: AFL Photos
But while he’s welcomed the growing rivalry as good for the game, the 58-year-old insists his focus is on getting 1-3 Port’s season back on track.
“We need to address our position currently, and our position means we need to do everything we can to win this game of football,” Hinkley said on Wednesday.
“That’s where we’ll spend our time, and it just so happens that Hawthorn are our opponent and it’s Gather Round.
“It’s a pretty big build-up, which we appreciate, but the reality is it’s bigger for us in the sense that our season needs to get back into some better shape.”
Port beat Hawthorn by just one point in round 11 last year and backed it up with a three-point triumph in the semi-final.
After the knockout clash, the Power were fined $20,000 by the AFL for Hinkley verbally taunting Hawthorn players.
Hinkley, whose sledging has featured prominently ahead of Sunday’s rematch at Adelaide Oval, hasn’t spoken to anyone at the Hawks since the incident.
“I have no need to speak to them, and I’m sure they didn’t really want to speak to me,” Hinkley said.
“Ultimately, my job is to do what I can to help Port Adelaide, and that’s all I spend my time on.
“Honestly, I said what I said at the end of last year’s game.
“Emotions boiled over, I was disappointed in that myself, I’ve said that, and I’ve apologised publicly.
“I think it’s time to move on for me, and I’ve got to focus on our performance this week.”
Hawthorn players clearly haven’t forgotten the way Hinkley targeted young forward Jack Ginnivan after the semi-final.
A lead figure in the Hawks’ so-called rascal pack, Ginnivan has this week suggested he has an “aeroplane” goal celebration prepared for if he kicks one in front of the Port faithful.
Hinkley expects an emotion-charged Hawthorn to bring the heat and has urged his side to be switched on from the opening bounce.
“When you ultimately lose in the end-of-season game by a small margin, clearly there’s a sting,” he said.
“The reality is, for us, we expect that to be coming our way.
“But every team who’s played them has felt their pressure, and we’re not going to be separated from that.
“We know it’s coming our way and we look forward to the challenge.”
Hinkley expects Port veteran Travis Boak to return after he was managed out of last week’s loss to St Kilda.
The Power are weighing up multiple changes for Sunday, with All-Australian Darcy Byrne-Jones sidelined through suspension.
AAP
McRae plays long game on frustrated De Goey, suspended Houston
Roy Ward
Collingwood coach Craig McRae is playing the long game on Jordan De Goey’s fitness and holding fire on demanding Dan Houston avoids bumping players.
Houston is this round beginning his second suspension in four matches for collision-based incidents and will miss the clash with 2024 grand finalists Sydney and Brisbane while serving a two-game ban.
Jordan De Goey, pictured here being tackled by Carlton’s Mitch McGovern.Credit: AFL Photos
Houston missed last year’s finals with Port Adelaide and opening round with Collingwood due to a five-game ban for a poorly executed bump.
De Goey, meanwhile, is frustrated at again having to sit out after pulling up with a sore ankle following the win over Carlton, but he will travel with the team so he can continue working to rehab the injury with team staff.
McRae was asked if Houston had to change the way he played, and he shrugged off the question.
“The incident is the incident. You could say he has to change things, but I’m not sure,” McRae said on Wednesday.
Collingwood’s Dan Houston.Credit: Getty Images
“You wait and see on those things, but missing your best players is no fun as a coach and as a team.
“I look at it as an opportunity to improve and an opportunity for him to freshen up and an opportunity for others to come in and play their roles.”
McRae won’t risk De Goey after he ended last season battling multiple injury woes, and he praised the premiership midfielder for his off-season work to build up his strength and fitness.
“It’s reasonably minor, he’s just got a problem with his ankle, but we’ve learned our lesson from last year so we are not going to put Jordy our there, where one issue can become two, and then we are chasing our tail a bit,” McRae said.
“So we decided earlier in the week to make that call and ideally get him right for Brisbane.
“He had no signs to this degree [post-game]. He had some things going on prior to the game so we decided to look after him a bit. Then he pulled up a bit sore so we’ve decided to play the long game.”
McRae hopes De Goey will return for Collingwood’s clash with the Lions, but won’t rush him back.
“We are hopeful that Brisbane is the target, but we are not sure,” McRae said.
Brayden Maynard with Collingwood champion Scott Pendlebury.Credit: AFL Photos
“That’s still the plan, and we will take him to Adelaide and take him to Brisbane with us so our physio and high-performance team are around him.
“I had a good chat to him earlier in the week, and he was a bit frustrated. It’s been one step forward and two steps back with him, but it’s round five and we have plenty of time with him.
“He’s done a power of work to get to this stage and he’s certainly in a different place body wise than he was last year.”
All-Australian defender Brayden Maynard is attracting interest from opposition clubs and McRae made it clear he loves Maynard and wants him to remain a Magpie.
“I don’t read a thing and I don’t watch much so I’m not caught up in it beyond watching Brayden perform really, really well for us,” McRae said.
“He’s much loved within our four walls and he looks really energised for us as a team and for his own form.
“We are very keen [to keep him] and I tell him daily how much I love and appreciate him and I’ll leave list management up to others and I’ll leave his contract up to him but I make sure he feels appreciated and loved.”
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