Ken Hinkley responds after Collingwood premiership player linked with Port move

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a day ago

Outgoing Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has attempted to quell reports around Beau McCreery joining the Power having fended away questions regarding trade rumours. Hinkley is stepping down at the end of the season with the side unfortunately out of finals footy contention.
And the outgoing coach has hit back at a number of reports around Port Adelaide making a play at Collingwood's McCreery on a four-year deal. The 24-year-old has been a pivotal part of the Magpies' success this season with his latest absence coinciding with Collingwood's dip in form.
McCreery is contracted until the end of 2027, but reports suggest a number of AFL clubs are looking at the midfielder. Although Hinkley, who will depart at the end of the season after 13 years, admitted it was news to him if McCreery was being targeted by his club.
'I have not seen Beau at the footy club,' he said. 'If he has been here, I might not recognise him, but I think he's trying to get over a hamstring to get back and ready to play football for Collingwood.'
McCreery has been in great form for Collingwood having helped a stellar midfield, featuring Nick Daicos and Steele Sidebottom, in 2025. Although he has only played one game of footy since round 15, which was the loss against Fremantle.
But as an outgoing dig at the media, Hinkley hit back at the reports over the AFL trade merry-go-round. On Tuesday night, St Kilda coach Ross Lyon took aim at some 'half-baked' reports about his players having tried to shut down the speculation. On Wednesday, Lyon stopped his press conference short having suggested the questions directed at him shouldn't be about list management ahead of the game against Essendon on the weekend.
And Hinkley has also moved to rubbish most of the rumours out in the AFL ether. Hinkley said most of the speculation never comes to fruition having also dealt with his fare share of rumours during his time as coach.
'Everyone gets linked everywhere, don't they, this time of year when there's an opportunity,' he said. "What I do know about footy is that about one per cent come true.'
Ken Hinkley remains coy on Wanganeen-Milera links
Meanwhile, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera is the talk of the AFL world at the moment with St Kilda doing everything they can to keep him at the club. Although Wanganeen-Milera has been linked with a move back home to Adelaide.
Wanganeen-Milera is yet to confirm his future and Buddy Franklin suggested the St Kilda star could be on the move with decisions late in the season normally leaning suggesting a player wants a change of scenery. 'I think he's gone, I think he's definitely going,' Franklin said on his podcast Buddy & Shane Show. 'For me, why would you hold out so long? This has taken all year. If the decision was to stay, it would've happened weeks ago I would've thought.'
And while Hinkley remained coy on Wanganeen-Milera's specific situation, he also hinted the lack of clarification could also suggest the player might be considering his options in the AFL. Although the Port Adelaide coach of 13 years claimed he wasn't going to weigh-in on any player.
'History would tell you that long term, late in the season, those decisions do seem to go a certain way,' Hinkley said. "But I'm not going to make any prediction on any of that because I have no information and I can't help you in any way to predict the outcome. I do know that the young man that everyone's talking about, I can understand why everyone's talking about him.'