Port coach enjoying the AFL moment

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley says he wants to enjoy his AFL club's win against Fremantle - for the moment.

Ken Hinkley the coach of the Power

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley says he wants to enjoy his AFL club's win against Fremantle. (AAP)

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley didn't want to be disrespectful.

His team had just taken top spot of the AFL ladder. Just belted Fremantle by 89 points.

But everyone wanted to talk about Saturday night: Port's clash against arch rival Adelaide.

The fixture will be an historic version of the local Adelaide derby, dubbed the Showdown - for the first time, the clubs will meet while top and second on the AFL ladder.

"I'll be careful how I answer this because I don't want to be disrespectful," Hinkley said post-match when asked about the grudge match.

"But I do want to enjoy today. And I want to leave the Showdown alone until that time comes."

Hinkley was pressed further; asked how much he was looking forward to the encounter.

"I'm not," he said.

"I'm enjoying tonight, that is what I'm doing. I really am enjoying tonight.

"It has been a pretty brutal off-season at times. So if you don't enjoy what you're supposed to, footy is too hard."

But Hinkley was rapt for Port to have banked consecutive triumphs after missing the finals for the past two seasons.

"As a footy club, we are working really hard on that horrible word of consistency," he said.

"This game is so hard to play at such a high level all the time but you have to turn up each week and be prepared to do that.

"It's never bread and butter.

"This competition - the coaches all say it, not just me - it's such a tough competition. And you get it wrong by a little bit and you lose games and you just can't afford to lose."


Share

2 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world