Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley is hopeful that the club can get up in the season finale against Gold Coast at Adelaide Oval next week.
Following a dismal display in Melbourne against Carlton, the Power will have one opportunity to end the year on a high note, but also send off club legend Travis Boak in style.
Boak recently announced his retirement from the game after 19 seasons at Alberton, holding the club’s games record among a litany of individual accolades. Unfortunately, the team never achieved ultimate success.
There are four more quarters of the veteran’s career, which fittingly end with Hinkley’s time at Port Adelaide.
“For Trav particularly, and clearly my last game as coach at Port Adelaide … it’s been a long time coming, but I’m glad it’s here now because of the challenges this year has put upon us (and) we can particularly celebrate Trav and I hope that’s what (next week) it is,” Hinkley said post-game.
“I hope the boys get out there and have a real crack for Trav. Funnily enough, for myself, we play the Gold Coast – where I come from – to come to Port. There’s something in that which is OK as well.
“I’m really proud of the way we as a footy club, and Trav, myself and everyone involved with our footy have been able to keep our spirits up and our energy up to get to the end of the season with lots of challenges.
“I’m glad it’s here. To be honest, I’m sick of the wait. It’s been a bit of a battle to get to the end, and we’ve got here now.”
Hinkley baulked at a line of questioning regarding the succession plan that will see Josh Carr assume responsibility of Port Adelaide following next week.
“For me, even that way, the question is unfair because I committed and the club committed to seeing the season out right from the very start of the year,” he said defensively.
“We said all the way along we knew what was going on, yeah, the challenges that came don’t make any difference to our position of what we were trying to achieve this year.
“Rightly or wrongly, the ladder will certainly say we didn’t perform well enough, but internally I think we’ve put ourselves going forward.
“We’ve been able to focus on some of the stuff, and I’ve been able to focus on coaching the team week to week.
“I think it sets us up for a really positive 2026 and for Josh in his first year, I think it gives him a great chance.”