‘Ground Zero’ Hinkley unlikely to entice Suns star after Jaeger bombshell
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has ruled out trading the Power’s first round draft pick for departing Gold Coast star Jaeger O’Meara.
Hinkley, who concedes he is at “Ground Zero” after two fallow seasons, will coach Port’s final game for 2016 tomorrow night, in Queensland against the Suns – the team at which he used to work as an assistant.
Gold Coast were rocked yesterday when their injury-wracked young gun – once touted as a future once-in-a-generation star – opted to seek a trade at season’s end.
The Suns signalled a hardball approach to any trade, noting O’Meara had cost them two first round draft picks five years ago and that they had “invested time and resources into rehabilitating his knee following multiple surgeries”.
“Jaeger is on the market to a club that can provide us compensation we are prepared to accept… it’s the right time for the club to make a stance,” Suns chairman Tony Cochrane said in a statement.
Hinkley told reporters this morning before jetting out of Adelaide he didn’t know O’Meara’s plans but signalled he would not find a home at Alberton.
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“No, I don’t know where Jaegers’ going, I’ve no idea what he’s up to,” he said.
“I had very little time with him [at Gold Coast], but obviously he’s made a decision… as any football club [would], you have a look and see what happens – but we’re taking our first round draft pick and going to the draft.”
Port has already traded away its second round pick for this year’s draft, as part of its trade to secure former Suns forward Charlie Dixon – a player with whom Hinkley had built a rapport.
That recruiting coup perhaps hastened the departure of former attack linchpin Jay Schulz, who will play his final game in Power colours against the Suns after yesterday being let go by the club.
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Hinkley said after missing finals for a second successive season, Port couldn’t afford to be squeamish in its list management.
“The reality is you have to make list changes every year,” he said.
“We have to be strong with our decision-making and we have to be really clear… we made the call for Jay early [and] it’s showing our intent that we’re in the position [where we need] to strengthen our list, as we should be.”
Having taken Port to two consecutive finals appearances in his first two seasons – including a narrow preliminary final loss in 2014 – Hinkley concedes he is effectively back to square one.
“I can be honest… I’m probably at Ground Zero: two decent [seasons] and two below par performances,” he said.
“I’m always looking at myself and always looking at what I can do better to help the team be better… it doesn’t wear me down, I’m up for it, I’m up for the fight.”
Port have included two debutants – 2015 draftee Riley Bonner and promoted rookie Will Snelling – among three changes to face the Suns.
Logan Austin returns from injury, with Jake Neade, Jimmy Toumpas and Cam O’Shea forced out.
Hinkley conceded in other circumstances the two new faces might have been held back for longer, “but we only had another week left so we took that opportunity and we’ll have a look at them”.
