The AFL has slapped Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley with a $20,000 fine for his heated post-match exchange with Hawthorn antagoniser Jack Ginnivan.
The league deemed Hinkley’s antics as “conduct unbecoming”.
“We understand it is a passionate game with a lot at stake for all clubs, however Ken made a decision to engage with opposition players post-match — a decision he has since admitted was the wrong one,” AFL general counsel Stephen Meade said.
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Minutes after the Power ended Hawthorn’s season on Friday night, Hinkley took the opportunity to direct verbal jibes at forward Jack Ginnivan.
The Power had been fired up by Ginnivan, who had responded to an Instagram post by Sydney ruckman Brodie Grundy, writing “see u in 14 days”, referring to next Friday’s preliminary final.
Both teams had started lining up for a guard of honour for Hawks 300-gamer Luke Breust when Hinkley started taunting Ginnivan.
It infuriated Hawthorn captain James Sicily, who stepped in to defend Ginnivan and engaged in a fiery back-and-forth with the Power coach.
The AFL issued a please explain to the Power on Saturday, then handed down their sanction for “conduct unbecoming” on Sunday.
The fine, the same as that handed to GWS after football boss Jason McCartney made contact with Sydney’s Tom Papley amid a quarter-time melee in their qualifying final, won’t count towards the Power’s soft cap.
“We understand it is a passionate game with a lot at stake for all clubs, however Ken made a decision to engage with opposition players post-match – a decision he has since admitted was the wrong one.” AFL general counsel Stephen Meade said.“Ken has acknowledged that his emotions got the better of him in the moment, however as a senior coach his actions fell well below what is expected by the AFL.“As we reiterated last week, opposition officials and players inappropriately engaging each other is something we don’t want to see because of the potential to escalate and the example that it sets for football at lower levels and we are disappointed the moment took away from what was one of the great finals matches.”
Hinkley, in his post-game media conference, said he was out of line.
“I regret the comment … I should have stayed out of that,” he said.
“There was stuff said during last week that I certainly didn’t enjoy, but I shouldn’t have let that moment get to me.”
Port chief executive Matthew Richardson on Saturday defended his coach.
“Ken, he cares deeply about his players, he cares deeply about the footy club and sometimes that emotion comes out, but that’s one of the things we love about Ken,” he said.
Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell praised Sicily for standing up for Ginnivan, and on Saturday the Hawks skipper said of his verbal sparring: “I didn’t regret it one bit.”
Port Adelaide play Sydney at the SCG on Friday night.
Luke Hodge said it was a bad look for Hinkley.
“As a coach that’s pretty disappointing. I reckon Ken as a coach would sit back and go, ‘We’ve had a win, a great win, you should be talking about how well our team’s played’,” Luke Hodge said on Channel 7.
“Instead a coach is in there mouthing off to a losing side. Pretty poor form.”
North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson was slapped with the same $20,000 fine for his “inappropriate” outburst towards St Kilda players Jimmy Webster and Dougal Howard.
Clarkson apologised over the expletive-laden exchange of words — in which he used the homophobic slur “c*******er” — that followed Webster’s late bump on Kangaroos co-captain Jy Simpkin during a practice match.
– With AAP
