Ken Hinkley maintains he will not discuss emotional control with his players as Port Adelaide prepares for heightened intensity in their upcoming AFL rivalry game against Hawthorn.
The coach of the Power team has been a key person in the lead-up to this Sunday's Gather Round finale following his significant involvement in the contentious aftermath of last season's semi-final match.
However, despite embracing the increasing competition as beneficial for the sport, the 58-year-old remains committed to reviving Port's campaign and steering their season back on course.
Since last September, the two teams have been moving in different directions, with Port Adelaide (1-3) finding themselves in 12th place battling through difficulties, whereas Hawthorn (4-0), now considered strong contenders for the championship, sit proudly at the summit of the ladder.
"We need to assess where we stand right now, and what that entails is doing whatever it takes to secure victory in this match of football," Hinkley stated on Wednesday.
That’s where we’ll be spending our time, and coincidentally, our opponents will be Hawthorn, and the event is called Gather Round.
There's quite a significant buildup here, and we're grateful for that, but the truth is it feels even more substantial for us because our season relies on getting back to a stronger performance level.
In round 11 last year, Port trailed by 41 points but managed to come out victorious by a margin of one point against Hawthorn. They followed this performance with a narrow three-point win during the semi-final.
After the knockout clash, Hinkley was fined $20,000 for his taunting of Jack Ginnivan on the ground after the final siren, in response to the Hawks forward's comments pre-game.
On Wednesday, Hinkley sidestepped suggestions the Gather Round fixturing is hypocritical by the AFL, who fined the coach but are cashing in on the hype around the incident.
He said it was "not a spot I need to go" and shifted the focus to AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon, who later defended the league's call to put the Power-Hawks clash in prime time on Sunday night.
Dillon remarked, 'Their concluding performance from last year was truly unforgettable.'
I sat beside the (SA) Premier at that match, and right after it ended, we discussed how it made a fantastic finale to the Gather Round series.
The Hawthorn players definitely remember how Hinkley criticized Ginnivan with his "you're not flying" comment following the semi-final.
A key member of the Hawks' famed 'rascal pack,' Ginnivan mentioned this week that he has an "airplane" goal celebration ready should he score in front of the Port Adelaide supporters.
Hinkley anticipates a highly emotional Hawthorn team will come out strong and has advised his squad to remain vigilant right from the start of the game.
"When you finally lose the last game of the season by just a narrow gap, it definitely leaves a bitter taste," he stated.
What we anticipate is that this will be heading towards us.
However, every squad that has faced them has experienced their intensity, and we won’t deviate from that.
Issue is headed our direction, and we're eager to take on the challenge.
Hinkley, who apologized following the semi-final incident and acknowledged his remorse over what happened, mentioned that he has not been in touch with anyone from Hawthorn since then.
"I see no reason to converse with them, and I’m certain they weren’t truly eager to talk to me," Hinkley stated.
In the end, my role is to contribute whatever I can to assist Port Adelaide, and that’s where I focus all my efforts.
To be honest, I expressed my thoughts at the conclusion of last year's match.
I felt overwhelmed with emotions; I expressed my disappointment in this matter, apologized for it, and made amends publically.
It's time for me to progress, so I need to concentrate on our performance this week.
Hinkley anticipates that Port Adelaide veteran Travis Boak will come back into the lineup against Hawthorn following hismanaged absence from last week’s defeat against St Kilda.
The Power are considering several alterations for Sunday, as All-Australian player Darcy Byrne-Jones is out due to suspension.