Ken Hinkley spotted in eye-opening move amid calls for Michael Voss' sacking

Yahoo

27-06-2025

Despite all the pressure and focus being on Carlton coach Michael Voss on Thursday night, a very telling move from Port Adelaide counterpart Ken Hinkley didn't go unnoticed. Kane Cornes highlighted on Channel 7 that Hinkley appeared to have handed the reins to assistant coach Josh Carr, who was in charge for the game.
Hinkley was seen sitting at the back of the coach's box, behind where he'd normally be sitting if he was pulling the strings. "It's unusual," Cornes said. "He's in the back row of the box and it looks like Josh Carr will be pulling the strings tonight. Just the way Carr is positioned in the box, it looks like Ken will have a more hands-off approach."
Port had flagged in February that Carr would move into the head-coaching role at different times throughout the year, as part of his transition into the top role in 2026. Carr's official role is midfield coach this season, and there have been no official changes to match-day duties. But Port are easing his transition to head-coach by putting him in the hot seat periodically throughout 2025.
The switch certainly didn't have any ill-effects, with the Power romping to a 16.14 (110) to 8.12 (60) victory that heaps even more pressure on Voss. Earlier this week, Buddy Franklin declared the Blues need to sack Voss immediately, and the calls have continued after Thursday night's 50-point hiding.
"It looks like Josh Carr will be pulling the strings tonight."🗣️ Kane Cornes on Ken Hinkley sitting at the back of the Port Adelaide coaches' box | #AFLPowerBlues pic.twitter.com/pAdC9FfSdX
— 7AFL (@7AFL) June 26, 2025
The Blues slipped even further off the finals pace, managing just one goal in the first half. They hold 11th spot with six victories and nine losses, but by Sunday night they could be three wins outside the top eight.
"Now, the answer starts to become about what we value," Voss said in his post-match press conference. "What you do find out a lot about is your character - your football team, football club, right now. And what connection is needed to be able to ensure that we do get that turnaround.
"There is a way we need to be as a football club — and we're not that yet. There has been a lot of foundations laid on that, but clearly that hasn't fully turned to the standard that we want nor the results that we want."
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Fourth-year coach Voss is contracted until the end of next season, but his future remains clouded by the imminent arrival of new chief executive Graham Wright at season's end - a noted agent of change. Voss said there must be "collective accountability" for Carlton's failings.
"There is no separating groups here," he said. "This is collective accountability. We'll look at it thoroughly and see where we need to correct.
"The way through this - I said this last week - it's not to isolate, it's coming together. If there's one thing I know about working through really tough times, it's how we connect. What we won't do, what you will not see us do, is pass blame on anyone.
"We'll sit here and we'll say, 'What's my role in this?' We'll get to work hard on that but we need everyone on board. What I feel right now as a leader is, I feel really disappointed for our people. We feel like we're creating a great environment but we're not getting the results we're after. We're enormously disappointed ... but it's time to come together, not isolate."
with AAP