Ken Hinkley
Hinkley in April 2018
Personal information
Full name	Ken Hinkley
Nickname(s)	Kenny
Date of birth	(1966-09-30) 30 September 1966 (age 57)
Place of birth	Camperdown, Victoria
Original team(s)	Camperdown
Height	185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	80 kg (176 lb)
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1987–1988	Fitzroy	011 (21)
1989–1995	Geelong	121 (58)
Total		132 (79)
Coaching career3
Years	Club	Games (W–L–D)
2013–	Port Adelaide	246 (147–99–0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1995. 3 Coaching statistics correct as of round 23, 2023.
Career highlights
2x AFLCA Coach of the Year (2013, 2020) Carji Greeves Medal (1992) HNFL Leading goalkicker (1983) 2x All-Australian (1991, 1992)
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Ken Hinkley (born 30 September 1966) is the senior coach of the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) and a former player with the Geelong Football Club and Fitzroy Football Club.

Early life

Hinkley was born and grew up in Camperdown, Victoria. He is the 7th of 10 children.^[1] As a teenager Hinkley played for the Camperdown Football Club.^[1]

Playing career

Fitzroy (1987–1988)

In 1987 Hinkley made his VFL debut as a forward for Fitzroy in a match against North Melbourne at Waverley Park. Hinkley did not enjoy his time in Melbourne and was approached by Geelong at the end of the 1988 VFL season.^[2]

Geelong (1989–1995)

Hinkley moved to Geelong for the 1989 VFL season and it was at his second club where he played his best football as a rebounding defender. Hinkley walked out of Fitzroy in 1988 and asked for a clearance to Geelong. He stood out of football for the rest of 1988 season before being traded to Geelong for the 1989 season. A half back flanker in the 1991 and 1992 All-Australian teams, Hinkley also won a Carji Greeves Medal as Geelong's best and fairest player in the 1992 AFL season. In the same year he finished third at the Brownlow Medal count, behind winner Scott Wynd and Hawthorn's Jason Dunstall. He appeared in 12 finals with Geelong, including the 1992, 1994 and 1995 Grand Final losses.

Coaching career

Hampden senior coach (1996–1998)

Retiring after the 1995 AFL Grand Final, hinkley joined Hampden Football League club Mortlake as coach, where he remained for three seasons.^{[citation needed]}

Camperdown senior coach (1999–2000)

Hinkley returned to Camperdown and coached the club to back-to-back premierships in 1999 and 2000, the former as captain-coach.^{[citation needed]}

St Kilda assistant coach (2001)

St Kilda acquired his services as an assistant coach in 2001 under senior coaches Malcolm Blight and Grant Thomas, but he left the club after one season.^[3]

Bell Park senior coach (2002–2003)

The year after leaving St Kilda he took up the role of senior coach of Bell Park in the Geelong Football League and oversaw a premiership in 2003.^{[citation needed]}

Geelong assistant coach (2004–2009)

He resumed his AFL coaching career in 2004, as an assistant coach under senior coach Mark Thompson at Geelong, and was part of the coaching group in their 2007 and 2009 AFL premierships. Hinkley left Geelong at the end of the 2009 season.^[4][5]

Gold Coast assistant coach (2011–2012)

At the end of the 2009 season, Hinkley was announced as an assistant coach at the new Gold Coast Football Club under senior coach Guy McKenna.^[6][7] Hinkley served as assistant coach for the Suns in their inaugural season in the 2011 season and the 2012 season.^[8] during this period, Hinkley also interviewed for the Richmond, Geelong and St Kilda senior coach positions but was unsuccessful.

Port Adelaide senior coach (2013–present)

On 8 October 2012, Hinkley was announced as the senior coach of Port Adelaide making him the first coach that has not been associated with the club before since Fos Williams. Hinkley replaced Port Adelaide caretaker senior coach Garry Hocking, who replaced Matthew Primus, after Primus was sacked during the 2012 season.^[9] In his debut season, Hinkley led Port to 13 wins, which included an elimination final win at the MCG against Collingwood before being eliminated by Geelong in a close game a week later. This came to a surprise to many as Port Adelaide had only won eight games in the previous two seasons combined. For his impressive season, Hinkley was voted as the Coach of the Year by the AFL Coaches Association.

A year later, despite predictions by many that Port Adelaide would miss the finals, Hinkley led the club to a preliminary final finish; having finished the minor rounds in fifth place on the ladder, the Power defeated Richmond and Fremantle in their first two finals before losing to eventual premiers Hawthorn.^[10]

The Power disappointingly missed finals in 2015 and 2016 before returning in 2017, only to be eliminated in the first week in an intense Elimination Final against the West Coast Eagles which went all the way down to a kick after the siren in extra-time. Hinkley's contract with Port Adelaide was extended in late 2017.^[11]

After guiding Port Adelaide to minor premiership and a Preliminary Final appearance during the 2020 AFL season, Hinkley signed a contract extension until the end of 2023.^[12] 2021 saw another Preliminary Final appearance for the Power, while in 2022 the team slipped out of the top eight, placing pressure on Hinkley for his final contracted season in 2023. Despite the pressure, club officials extended Hinkley's contract to the end of the 2025 season, shortly after the team locked in a top four spot and a return to finals,^[13] before going out in straight sets.

Hinkley currently holds the VFL/AFL record for the most games coached at one club without making a grand final.^[14]

Personal life

Hinkley is a cousin of Geelong player Gary Rohan.^[15]

Statistics

Playing statistics

^[16]

Coaching statistics

Statistics are correct to Round 23, 2023^[17]

*Hinkley did not coach the round 6, 2013 match due to an illness.^[18]

*Hinkley did not coach the round 18, 2022 match due to covid health and safety protocols.^[19]