Port Adelaide say Ken Hinkley will be there for his farewell game despite missing training due to illness

Ken Hinkley looks on during the R23 match between Port Adelaide and Carlton at Marvel Stadium on August 16, 2025. Picture: Getty Images/AFL Photos

AN ILL Ken Hinkley has missed his last training session as Port Adelaide coach.

Hinkley will coach the Power for the final time on Friday night when hosting Gold Coast in a pivotal fixture for the Suns’ finals chances.

But the 13-year Port coach was absent, due to illness, from Port’s Alberton Oval headquarters on Thursday for a match-eve training session.

Power officials say Hinkley is in no danger of missing his farewell game at Adelaide Oval, which is also the last match of retiring great Travis Boak.

Assistant coach Chad Cornes will also farewell the Power on Friday night after being told he won’t be required under Josh Carr, who will take over from Hinkley as head coach.

“Josh told me probably seven weeks ago,” Cornes said on Thursday.

“That wasn’t a great moment. But I think deep down … I felt that coming throughout most of the year.

“So it was disappointing then, but right now I feel really good about it.

“Obviously not my call, but I feel it’s the right call for both parties … I leave on great terms.”

Chad Cornes at Ken Hinkley’s farewell press conference on August 19, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

The 13th-placed Power were out of finals reckoning weeks ago, but the clash is vital for the Suns, coached by Cornes’s 2004 premiership teammate at Port, Damien Hardwick.

The Suns coach has urged his players to embrace the emotion of Port’s farewells at Adelaide Oval, a venue where the Queensland club has never won in 12 attempts.

“It’s going to be a high-octane game, I would think,” Hardwick said on Wednesday.

“One thing I do know about Ken and his sides, they like to play a Showtime type of game and I’m pretty sure they’re going to be at their best against us on Friday night.

“What we do realise is with emotion comes a start that is very important, especially at an away venue where you’ve got to start well.”