No rush for new deal: Port’s Hinkley

Coach Ken Hinkley says he’s in no rush to pursue a new contract despite falling in love with Port Adelaide.

Hinkley will take Port to consecutive finals series in the second of his four-year deal to coach the AFL club.

And the long-time assistant, overlooked by three clubs before winning the Port job, has no interest in talking about extending his contract just yet.

“I have got two more years to go,” Hinkley told reporters on Thursday.

“If the club comes to me and says ‘are you excited about being here and wanting to continue to work with this football team?’ – my short answer will be an absolute yes.

“I have loved my time at Port Adelaide. There is no doubt it has been everything I hoped it would be.

“And right now I have still got a lot more work to do, to get where we want to be.”

Port have slipped to fifth spot, with one win from their past six games ahead of an away fixture against the Gold Coast Suns on Saturday.

Despite the recent struggles, Hinkley had no doubt his club was “much improved” from last year.

“The numbers tell us that, the position on the ladder tells us that right now, and all those things add up – we’re in a better position,” he said.

“The top four sides on the table are really experienced sides. And we’re next.

“We’re going keep pushing and charging as hard and as fast as we possibly can to get with those clubs.”

Port attacker Matt White will return from a two-game absence with a groin injury with Hinkley certain the Power’s slump can be arrested.

“It’s a really small margin that we are dealing with and that is the facts,” he said.

“It has not been an issue for me internally that the boys have in any way lost their willingness … but some of our performances suggest we haven’t been able to get that done for four quarters.”

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