16-03-2025
AFL great calls out Ken Hinkley detail as Houston and Pies respond to backlash
Richmond legend Jack Riewoldt has called out Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley over his explanation for Saturday night's record 91-point thumping by Collingwood. Dan Houston returned to haunt his former club in an impressive first match for the Magpies, who bounced back from their Opening Round mauling by GWS - and the backlash that followed - by handing Hinkley his heaviest defeat in 275 games in charge of Port.
Collingwood's premiership credentials were widely questioned after being thrashed by the Giants in their season opener but that was without Houston, who was excellent in his first game in Magpies colours. The All-Australian defender forced a trade out of Port Adelaide last October but only just completed a lengthy suspension to take his place against his former team on Saturday night at the MCG.
And Houston was one of the best afield with 27 disposals, 10 intercept possessions and six score involvements. "He's a great pick-up, a talented player," Collingwood coach Craig McRae said after the 21.10 (136) to 6.9 (45) flogging. "When you have someone come to your club, you have this great optimism about what they're going to bring.
"But when they're actually in your system you go, 'Woah, he's going to make a difference'. Not only does he win the ball in the air, he wins it on the ground and then he uses the ball ridiculously well. He's a rare talent and we're very happy to have him."
A superb Collingwood debut for Dan Houston 👏#AFLPiesPower
— AFL (@AFL) March 15, 2025
Hinkley was far from happy with his side's effort against the Pies though, after admitting they were "miles off the pace" compared to their opponents. It was a first game of the season to forget for the Power and Hinkley suggested that Collingwood had an advantage by already playing in Opening Round, and having a point to prove after their big loss to GWS.
'Collingwood beat us the way they've beat us in the past, they were too physical around the contest and they were able to hurt us badly on turnover," Hinkley told reporters. 'We looked like the team who didn't play last week and they looked like a team who had played and got a reminder – we were miles off the pace."
Riewoldt refused to buy that "narrative" from the Power coach though and argued that it should not result in such a massive thrashing. "I don't buy that. 91 points is 91 points and sort of suggesting the fact Collingwood were a bit more hardened because they'd been smacked up by the Giants is not something that I think peddling is a good idea for Port Adelaide," the Tigers legend said on Fox Footy.
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North Melbourne dual premiership legend David King suggested Port's coaching succession plan that will see Hinkley step down after this season, had led to "confusion" within the playing group. 'Look at what the Swans have done with John Longmire," King said. "There are other ways to treat the former coach with respect but I just think this is going to create confusion and in the end, it's about what they do for two hours on the weekend.
'I don't care what it looks like behind the scenes and how warm and fuzzy it is inside the four walls of Port Adelaide. Being hammered by 15 goals, it's the biggest story in town. The long goodbye, the slow goodbye – it doesn't work. It's so damaging to your football program. Who is in charge? Whose system has failed tonight?"
Riewoldt agreed and suggested it might be better for Port to hand over the coaching reins to senior assistant Josh Carr sooner rather than later. 'Why prolong it for another 12 months full well knowing that any loss over the early part of the season, not to mention a 91-point loss in round one, will add petrol to a fire which has been bubbling along for a fair period of time now," he said. 'I commend the Swans for the way they've done it. They've ripped the band-aid off and maybe it's something Port Adelaide should think about.'
Collingwood's crushing win came with Steele Sidebottom (31 disposals), Patrick Lipinski (24) and Jack Crisp (26) all influential in a dominant team display. Tim Membrey (four goals), Brody Mihocek and Dan McStay (three each) were the best of the goal-kickers, while Nick Daicos wore down Willem Drew's tag to finish with 26 disposals and a goal.
"We had our own internal dialogue of what we wanted to improve on ourselves and let others sit here or there judging us from afar," McRae said. "I didn't need to use it (the criticism). We have great pride in our performance and we took a step forward tonight."
with AAP
