“Hawthorn have been asking for this”: Why King thinks AFL should have supported Hinkley

David King thinks that Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has been harshly treated in the aftermath of the Semi-Final win over Hawthorn at the Adelaide Oval.

Hinkley thrust himself into the spotlight after the three-point win, sledging Hawks forward Jack Ginnivan for his pre-match comments while going back and forth in a verbal exchange with Hawthorn captain James Sicily as both teams gathered to clap Luke Breust off in his 300th game.

As a result of that exchange, the AFL fined Hinkley $20,000, but King thinks that punishment is ‘way overs’.

He thinks that his response was just the result of the pressure he’s been under and he thinks the moment will be used by the AFL going forward for marketing purposes.

“What are we doing to Kenny, seriously?” King said on SEN Whateley.

“Our game throws up quirks and generally they're emotionally based.

“This is a different one. I don't think there was any real spite in what was going on.

“I can't believe the AFL have come down so heavy with the $20,000 fine, I think that's just way overs.

“This is a marketing dream from here on in, you can have a lot of fun with this in the back half of the finals series.

“Ken's been under enormous pressure and we've ridden that all year and when he was with Sarah Jones post the St Kilda game, the emotion was just pouring out, you could see the fine line that he was on, the small margins he was working in.”

King also thinks that the punishment was too harsh as he believes the competition should be supporting its coaches given how much stress they’re put under throughout the season.

He thinks that the fine and AFL decision has again singled out Hinkley amid a season where he’s been under the pump from the media and fans alike.

“I feel it was a little bit the same on the weekend. I think if there's ever a time for the AFL to support the coaches, the one person at the front of a football club who's got all the shining lights on him and all the eyeballs of the football community - this was the time,” King said.

“Yes, Ken, you didn't handle it well. There should have been a conversation behind the scenes between those who matter at the AFL and Ken Hinkley and those who matter at Port Adelaide and move on.

“Don't put him in front of the shining lights again saying, ‘You’ve done the wrong thing, this is all your fault’.

“It wasn't that bad an offence. Don't single this one man out again and make us all sit back now for three days and talk about Ken Hinkley.

“I just think it was an opportunity for the game to support the guys that are at the front of the queue for a footy club.”

On the other hand, Hawks coach Sam Mitchell expressed his displeasure post-match and said that he absolutely wouldn’t seek to speak with Hinkley in the aftermath.

King also thinks that Mitchell handled the presser poorly as the Hawks had been ‘asking’ for an individual or a club to go back at them this season.

“It was part of it. Hawthorn have been asking for this. They've been asking for the whack between the eyes for someone to fire back and you know what? Someone did,” King said.

“Sam Mitchell's handled himself really poorly, the carry on there was just wrong.

“He should have just said, ‘I need to talk to Jack. This is more on us than on them’.

“Yep, they (Port Adelaide) have got a few things wrong. But I just think I'm more about the game supporting the coach.

“They had a chance, but let it slip.”