Why the AFL will look “very hypocritical” if they schedule a 2025 Port v Hawks blockbuster

SEN host Dwayne Russell thinks that the AFL will look hypocritical if they schedule a Port Adelaide v Hawthorn blockbuster early in the 2025 season.

Russell’s comments came after the Power ended the Hawks’ season in last Friday’s Semi-Final, with coach Ken Hinkley having a post-match verbal back-and-forth with Hawthorn captain James Sicily after he sledged young forward Jack Ginnivan.

In the aftermath, the AFL handed Port Adelaide a $20,000 fine for Hinkley’s behaviour, and that’s why Russell thinks that the competition will appear hypocritical if they use that stoush to promote a game between the two sides early next season.

“I don't think there was a loser in this (until the AFL fined Hinkley),” Russell said on SEN Afternoons.

“After fining Ken Hinkley $20,00, the AFL is going to look like hypocrites if they then schedule early next year in Round 1 or 2, a Port Adelaide v Hawthorn game and use it for their own devices.

“It’s going to look very hypocritical if they use it for their own promotional purposes to get a blockbuster out of it.”

Before the fine was handed down, Russell didn’t think there were any losers in the Hinkley v Sicily, Ginnivan and Sam Mitchell discourse as the four main players involved were all able to win in their own way from the incident.

Now that a financial sanction is headed the Power’s way, Russell thinks that the entire moment has been made to look silly.

“I think there were no losers in this … when you really have a look at it, everyone's a winner,” Russell said.

“The AFL gets a great storm in a teacup and media attention. Jack Ginnivan gets to be cheeky. James Sicily gets to show his captaincy style in the heat of the kitchen. Sam Mitchell gets to take the high ground, which is something that he obviously really wanted to do in that press conference.

“While the AFL gets to schedule a blockbuster next year because it added more emphasis to this battle than it's ever had before.

“I would have thought everyone was a winner until Andrew Dillondown the $20,000 fine to Ken Hinkley.

“Then it just made it all look silly.”

SEN’s Sam Edmund also confirmed that the fine will be paid by the club, and not by Hinkley himself.