Ken Hinkley, pre-season prediction, eight words, Port Adelaide Power, straight sets exit, GWS Giants loss, squad depth, criticism, analysis

Eight words have come back to haunt Port Adelaide and coach Ken Hinkley after yet another unsuccessful finals campaign.

“This is the strongest playing list I’ve had.”

It was only in February that Hinkley took to the stage at the club’s season launch and declared the club had the depth to challenge in 2023.

Watch every match of the 2023 Toyota AFL Finals Series before the Grand Final Live & Ad-Break Free During Play on Kayo Sports. Join now and start streaming instantly >

“We’ve got a really strong list – there’s no doubt,” he said at the time.

“It’s as good a list as we’ve had in my time. That’s not being disrespectful to any of the boys gone in the past, but the reality is we’ve built this group over a good little period of time now, since about 2018.

“We’ve got really good, strong depth in our squad.”

But seven months later, Hinkley’s tune changed dramatically as he conceded he played underdone players, including star Charlie Dixon, against GWS because the depth wasn’t there.

“People can say that we had some injured players or some blokes less than perfect – I can guarantee that if some of those (young) replacements were out there it would have been a much worse result,” he said after the 23-point semi final loss to the Giants.

“I think some of the personnel issues that we were dealing with (over the past two months) made it pretty challenging for us.”

After 11 years at the helm, Hinkley has zero grand final appearances to show for his club’s six post-season campaigns.

Fox Footy’s Jordan Lewis said while he still thinks Port is in a “really good position”, the squad depth was a concern.

“To finish top four and be dealt some injuries along the way and players out of form at the wrong time of year hurts,” he said on RSN Radio.

“They were forced to play players that were underdone through necessity on Saturday night – Dixon probably being one.

“You hear sides speak about squads win premierships, I just didn’t think they had the depth of players to be able to come in fit and ready to go to fill a position that needed to be filled and ready to perform.”

SA footy commentator Stephen Rowe agreed list issues were Port’s problem as they bowed out of the finals race in straight sets.

“They (GWS) just outworked, outplayed and outsmarted Port,” he said on Fiveaa Radio.

“It’s ended up another disappointing end to a hyped up, promising year for Port. Simple as that isn’t it?

“They are not good enough.

“I know injuries cruelled them to key personnel and sadly now for them, reality has hit. Their depth of talent and Ken even said himself after the game, he doesn’t trust the kids that are there. They are still developing.

“It’s either let him down that list of talent, or he’s overinflated it … and I think it’s the latter.

“They’ve won one final in five years and it’s Ken’s fourth cutthroat final loss at Adelaide Oval – there’s the facts.

“They keep talking about this jigsaw puzzle that’s got one or two pieces missing … they’ve got more than one piece of that jigsaw puzzle missing.

“The talent on that list now, the types of players they are getting in and that list demographic, I think their top 25 Ken’s happy to play – the others he has no confidence in or aren’t ready.”

The Power currently sit ranked eighth in the AFL for games experience and ninth in the competition for their age demographic.

Seventeen players on their list played in 20 games or more in season 2023 – compared to the likes of wooden spooners West Coast and second-last North Melbourne who had only eight players achieve that feat.

The 17 players is an equal high for the AFL this season, alongside the likes of remaining finals threats Collingwood and Brisbane.

It’s worth noting the Power don’t currently hold a draft pick in 2023 until the final selection of the second round (currently pick 37).