Port Adelaide are expected to swing the axe on small forward Jed McEntee for their must-win clash with Hawthorn in Friday night’s semi-final.
The Power will already need to make one forced change for the do-or-die match, with defender Ryan Burton ruled out with a calf complaint.
Burton, a former Hawk traded to the Power at the end of 2018 as part of the trade for the recently retired Chad Wingard did an extensive fitness test on Thursday morning under the watchful eye of Ken Hinkley, but has been ruled out.
He joins fellow half-backs Dan Houston (suspended) and Kane Farrell (hamstring) on the sidelines in a further blow to the Power’s already struggling defence.
McEntee has played 14 games for the Power in 2024 after 22 in 2023, often playing a key role as a negating forward – including restricting Hawks dasher Josh Weddle to only eight disposals in Port’s Round 10 win.
Having successfully clamped down on Geelong star Tom Stewart in Round 9, a similar job loomed on Hawthorn captain James Sicily, who didn’t play in their last encounter; but after being relegated to the secondary group at training, a brutal call looks set to be made when teams are named on Thursday evening.
McEntee’s absence could open the door for the Power to test the Hawks’ undersized defence without injured key back Sam Frost with an extremely tall set-up.
It is expected Todd Marshall will return after being left out of the Power’s humiliating qualifying final loss to Geelong; should McEntee make way for him, it could mean a lifeline for under-fire veteran Charlie Dixon, who had little impact against the Cats.
Speaking to media amid a torrent of criticism, Hinkley expects to serve his contract to coach the Power next year regardless of the result of Friday night’s match.
Hinkley is contracted until the end of next season but faces exiting the finals with consecutive defeats for a second-straight season should Port lose.
“I’m not going to be a smart arse here in any way, shape or form – but I’m contracted,” Hinkley told reporters on Thursday.
“That is what the board have told me all the way through.
“They have shown me great support the entire journey. I trust that that will always be the same.”
Hinkley said of speculation he would face the axe or step down should the Power lose: “That’s uneducated. It’s not the facts.
“I get why the conversation keeps coming up,” he said.
“But the reality is, I’m preparing this week to help our team find a way of getting in to a prelim final.
“That has got too much riding on it for me to spend any time in those other places you want me to go. I just won’t go there.”
Hinkley, in his 12th season at Port, will coach the South Australian club for a 273rd time on Friday night, equalling Mark Williams’s record as the Power’s longest-serving coach.
“Those sort of things, in some ways remarkable that I got to this point,” he said.
“But the reality is I reflect on those things after your career. And hopefully there’s a lot more to go.”
The 57-year-old holds the unwanted record of coaching the most games in VFL/AFL history without reaching a grand final.
(with AAP)
Ken Hinkley. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
A former Melbourne president believes the newly appointed Brad Green should axe Simon Goodwin as coach, amid a series of recommendations to steady the ship at the Demons.
Joe Gutnick, who served as Dees president from 1996-2001, met with Green, who took over from Kate Roffey last week as an interim president until a long-term candidate can be found, with a series of suggestions on turning around the 2021 premiers’ recent off-field turbulence, according to the Herald Sun.
Chief among them was the future of premiership coach Goodwin, whose job has come under increasing scrutiny after the Demons backed up their flag with consecutive straight-sets finals exits in 2022 and 2023, before slumping to 14th amid a horror injury run this season.
According to Gutnick, the departures of Goodwin as well as Roffey would give the Dees a badly needed ‘facelift’.
“I haven’t got anything personal against Goodwin, I just think he’s been given the chance,” Gutnick said.
“Melbourne needs to have a facelift, a new page, and one of those things is the president is out and the coach should move on as well.
“I know there would be players who wouldn’t agree with me, however, 100 per cent of the supporters I’m friends with, both Jewish and non-Jewish, think he should move on.
“Melbourne needs a rejuvenation and injection and that’s one of the ways to do it.”
Among Gutnick’s other suggestions are for Green, who played 254 games in red and blue and captained the club in 2011 before being controversially demoted in favour of younger leaders Jack Trengove and Jack Grimes by then-coach Mark Neeld, to remain permanent president, as well as to back in CEO Gary Pert and at last resolve a messy public dispute between the Demons and disgruntled former president Glen Bartlett.
Gutnick also recommended Christian Petracca, whose bombshell trade exploration amid frustration with the club’s handling of his horror internal injuries dominated discussion following the end of the Demons’ season, be made Max Gawn’s ‘heir apparent’ as club captain – though he respects that that may not be possible.
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“There are many issues and gripes Petracca has, [and] whether all the players want him to be the heir apparent is another question,” Gutnick told the Herald Sun.
“But for the facelift of the club, he’s the right person.”
Under Gutnick, the Demons turned around a horror patch in the mid-1990s to reach the 2000 grand final, under coach and now Australian legend Neale Daniher.
Simon Goodwin. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Gold Coast young gun Mac Andrew has recommitted to the Suns, signing a contract that is likely to end up being the longest in AFL history.
The Suns announced the 20-year old, who has already made a splash at the highest level with his intercept marking and talent at both ends of the ground, had extended his contract for a further five years through to the end of 2030.
However, according to Nine’s Tom Morris, the deal is likely to be even more significant, with triggers in place should he play enough games for an extra four years, effectively making it a nine-year deal – of equal length to Lance Franklin’s infamous nine-year, $10 million deal to join Sydney in late 2013.
Remarkably, Andrew’s deal will be even greater, with reports from News Corp that the contract could be worth up to $12 million across those nine years.
In a statement, Andrew expressed his desire to make history at the Suns by being part of the club’s first premiership – though they’ll first need to break through for a maiden finals berth after 14 straight years since inception of missing the eight.
“I love everything about this place. I’ve made a home for myself up here and have a great support base here,” he said.
“I’m really keen to be a part of the first team that wins a premiership on the Coast. To be the first to do that would be pretty special and something I really want to be a part of.
“It’s pretty evident we are heading in the right direction, and I just want to play my role in what will be something great.
“I don’t want to take my career for granted, I really want to make the most of it and grab every opportunity with both hands.”
Dan Butler and Mac Andrew clash. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Sydney captain Callum Mills will miss next week’s AFL preliminary final at the SCG because of a hamstring injury.
Mills tweaked his hamstring at training on Tuesday, the club’s first major session since defeating GWS in an epic qualifying final.
Scans on Wednesday confirmed a minor strain for the academy graduate, who had battled through a bout of gastro to tackle the Giants last Saturday.
The club confirmed the star will miss next Friday’s preliminary final at the SCG, where Sydney will host the winner of the Port Adelaide-Hawthorn semi-final.
Mills would be racing the clock to return for the grand final, assuming the Swans advance.
The 27-year-old was also notably plagued by a persistent calf issue earlier this year.
Mills does have some September form when it comes to rapid returns, having injured his hamstring in week one of the 2016 finals then been recalled for the grand final that Sydney lost.
Taylor Adams looms as the obvious replacement in the side that rallied from 28 points down to defeat the Giants and earn a week off.
Adams, who left Collingwood to join the Swans in last year’s trade period, was dropped in week one of the finals by coach John Longmire.
“His attitude was superb,” Longmire said on the weekend.
“I had a chat with him earlier in the week and he’s been terrific.
“Who knows what happens in the next few weeks. You got to be on top of you game and all those guys (who didn’t play against GWS) will need to be ready to go because that’s just the nature of the game.”
His setback follows an injury-marred season for the versatile gun.
Mills was sidelined at the start of 2024 after badly injuring his left shoulder in a Mad Monday mishap, having come off second best after wrestling with teammate Jacob Konstanty.
A calf injury then delayed the academy product’s return, meaning the final against GWS was just his seventh game of the season.
(AAP)
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