Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell revealed his frustration with Ken Hinkley after their semi-final loss stemmed not only from Hinkley’s heated exchange with Hawthorn players but also from an earlier incident in round 10. In that game, the Hawks led throughout until Port Adelaide scored a last-minute goal, securing a one-point victory.
When the siren sounded, Hinkley celebrated exuberantly, yelling and punching the air while facing the coaches’ boxes where Mitchell was seated. After Port Adelaide’s finals win, Hinkley further aggravated the situation by mocking Jack Ginnivan, which left Mitchell furious. Hinkley later apologized in his press conference for the incident involving Ginnivan and Hawthorn captain James Sicily, who defended his teammate, acknowledging his remarks amid a tense build-up to the match.
Ken Hinkley reportedly said, “You’re not flying, Jack,” referencing a controversial social media post by Jack Ginnivan before the game. Ginnivan had faced criticism for his confident reply to a post by Swans star Brodie Grundy, which said, “See you in 14 days,” implying the Hawks would easily defeat Port Adelaide and advance to face Sydney in the preliminary final.
After the game, Sam Mitchell expressed his disappointment with Hinkley’s actions, stating, “I can only speak for my club. We had a very young player (Ginnivan) who had some harsh words directed at him by an older man who has been in the game for a long time. Our captain (James Sicily) stood up for him, and I’m proud of how he led despite the emotional challenges of this time of year.”
“Ken, you’re the leader of the football club. That is embarrassing.”
Sam Mitchell believes he didn’t overreact to Ken Hinkley debacle
Since the incident, much attention has been given to Ken Hinkley’s actions and Sam Mitchell’s response. When asked by Kane Cornes on SEN whether he felt he had overreacted, Mitchell rejected that notion, saying the tension had built up from their previous meeting in Round 10.
“I don’t think so,” Mitchell responded when Cornes asked if he had overreacted. “There was some context, and things that happened last time we played, where something similar occurred. Right after the game, when we lost in the last minute.” In that Round 10 match, Port Adelaide completed a massive comeback with a last-second goal by Darcy Byrne-Jones, winning 11.14 (80) to 12.7 (79).
Port players, staff, and fans celebrated wildly, with Hinkley yelling, punching the air, and gesturing toward the coaches’ box, which Mitchell felt was excessive. When Cornes pressed Mitchell for further details, the Hawks coach declined to elaborate.
“I don’t think we need to add fuel to this. What Hawthorn needs to focus on is that we got what we deserved this year,” Mitchell said. “I know it’s an interesting story, but it’s not going to be the focus of our review of that game.”
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