Port Adelaide Power coach Ken Hinkley regrets Hawthorn Hawks incident

PORT Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley admits he should not have been drawn into a post-match verbal altercation with Hawthorn players on Friday night, admitting he responded emotionally to opposition comments in the build-up to a thrilling semi-final.

Hinkley approached Hawks forward Jack Ginnivan after the three-point win and was then involved in a tense exchange with opposition captain James Sicily, which continued as the teams lined up for Luke Breust’s guard of honour.

POWER v HAWKS Full match coverage and stats

The coach took issue with Ginnivan’s social media comment to former teammate Brodie Grundy during the week which suggested the Hawks would see Sydney in a preliminary final.

His comments towards the former Magpie drew the ire of Sicily and the Hawks, with his counterpart Sam Mitchell choosing his words carefully after the match as he defended his captain’s involvement.

“There was an incident after the game where I had some words with a Hawthorn player that I wish I hadn’t had at a time when I shouldn’t have,” Hinkley said.

“It was an emotional game, a big result and things were said during the last week that I certainly didn’t like, but I shouldn’t have let that moment get to me.

“Now I let them know by this that I should not have come near the time I did, but what was done during the week was done, and I answered him in an emotional state, which did not should be the case.”

Asked if he used Ginnivan’s comment on social media as motivation for his team, Hinkley said: “A bit. A little bit. And that’s probably why it got to the point it did. We as a football club thought it was a bit disrespectful. and that’s why it ends up where it does.”

Mitchell said he would “absolutely not” seek out his opposition manager to address the exchange after the game, while Hinkley said he made it known through his press conference that he regretted the moment.

Hinkley’s trade came after a thrilling semi-final that went all the way, with the Power advancing to their fourth preliminary final under Hinkley against Sydney next Friday at the SCG.

“It was definitely a really big win for us this year and we’ve been through a lot. To do what we were able to do tonight was a great performance,” Hinkley said.

“I think we prepared really well for the game. We knew what we had to take from Hawthorn and I thought we did that really, really well and we had to stick really hard to that plan.”

The coach paid tribute to Jase Burgoyne, who moved into the middle of need and was among the game’s best players in a Power backline that stood tall.

Young star Jason Horne-Francis was helped off the ground with trainers late on after spending the fourth quarter as a deep-lying forward, but Hinkley said it was a case of cramp and the midfield plane would be available against the Swans.

The coach was hoping key forward Charlie Dixon would be fit for the preliminary final after battling illness in the build-up to Friday night’s game and was withdrawn late on.

Out-half Kane Farrell looks a long shot, with Hinkley reluctant to take any kind of risk in a massive final as the big defender faces a clock to recover from a hamstring injury.

On the pressure he faced this week, with speculation he would part ways with the Power if the club crashed out of the finals in straight sets, Hinkley said he was confident the story had not distracted the players.

“It’s part of the territory that goes with it and I understand the language around it because I’ve been around for a long time,” he said.

“It’s just a bit more of what footy is about sometimes.

“This club is known for its fight and its desire to keep having a crack and I thought they did that very well.

“I thought the whole club and the whole football department were really in tune with what we needed to do and we were going to give ourselves a big chance.”