Ken Hinkley doesn’t want to talk about AFL finals. Or rags to riches. Or Cinderella stories.

He wants to talk about behaviours.

“We go back to that behaviour one all the time,” the first-year Port Adelaide coach said on Friday.

“We know what we have got to do. We know how we have got to turn up and how we have got to behave.

“As long as we do that … “

Behaviour is Hinkley’s mantra.

“If we get our behaviours right … our outcomes become a product of that.”

The straight-talking Hinkley isn’t the type to go for the whole `saviour’ thing – anyway, Port fans have already attached that tag to club chairman and television big-wig David Koch.

After Port’s best win in half a decade, an upset of Sydney last Saturday, Koch edged his way through the crowd, trying to get to the AAMI Stadium changerooms.

“Thanks for saving our club,” one Port supporter told him. Another asked for his autograph. Yet another, a quick photo. All in the space of one crowded metre.

Koch and chief executive Keith Thomas have steadied Port’s financial ship, which would have sunk without bail-outs from the AFL.

But Hinkley has given Port the most precious gift: wins.

Overlooked by three other clubs for a head coaching job, Hinkley is the fourth man in four years to coach Port.

When appointed, he was dubbed ‘last man standing’ as other senior candidates withdrew their interest, partly scared off by Port’s reputation as a rabble.

But in just a dozen games, Hinkley has earned Port respect: Seven wins. Eighth spot. Finals contenders. Surely, he’s entitled to a warm inner glow?

The thought horrifies Hinkley, who insists Port are miles away from it.

But what exactly does ‘it’ mean – premiership contention? Top four?

“Just behaviours,” Hinkley said. “Every week. Every minute. That is what good sides do.”

Hinkley’s “behaviours” largely rest in defensive acts.

“Without giving away too much of what we talk about internally, we’re not really re-inventing the wheel,” ex-captain Dom Cassisi said.

“It is just based around the defensive side of our game. The behaviours of not giving in, of bringing 100 per cent effort on the defensive side.

“That is what we want to base our whole game plan on, that is what the best sides do. Ken has held everyone accountable to that.”

Cassisi was Port’s captain last October when John McCarthy fell to his death at a Las Vegas casino.

The popular player’s death followed another grim season: five wins, the departure of coach Matthew Primus, record low crowds.

Port hit rock bottom.

But Koch and Hinkley arrived. And, critically, Port got their fitness man Darren Burgess back from English Premier League club Liverpool.

“You don’t know how hard other clubs are working, but internally we really lifted our standards,” Cassisi said of Port’s pre-season.

As Burgess trained their bodies, Hinkley trained their minds to defensive behaviours.

“We really worked on that over summer, under Ken’s guidance,” Cassisi said.

“Things can change pretty quickly if you’re prepared to do the work together and we are starting to get the benefits of it.”

But the pragmatic Hinkley believes Port have only proved one thing.

“If we can play four solid quarters of football, we have shown that our best football is good enough to compete with the good sides in the competition,” he said.

“And we got a reminder last week: our best is pretty good.

“We just need to make sure we’re able to deliver it … we need to be a really consistent side.”