How Hinkley became the Tasmania Devils first coach in the AFL
Updated ,first published
Ken Hinkley wasted no time in setting out his goal of winning a premiership as coach of the Tasmanian Devils after being officially announced by the AFL’s 19th team on Monday.
After first discussing the job with Devils CEO Brendon Gale in Adelaide 18 months ago, Hinkley eventually received the board’s blessing as Tasmania’s first senior coach in Hobart on Sunday afternoon.
The Devils were confident he was the right man for the job. The only thing Hinkley needed to make sure before committing was that the Devils understood the challenges a fledgling club would face.
Hinkley has signed a five-year contract with his contract starting on November 1, but the 59-year-old former Port Adelaide coach has revealed he is now ready to go.
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think we were going to win,” Hinkley said.
“I’m a football coach. This is what I know. I don’t know much else, I just know what a football coach does and how he acts.”
“In the 100 years that Tasmania has won so many premierships, at some point there will be a moment of revision that we will look back on [and ask] who was the first coach of the football club and my name will remain there forever and [it’s] “It’s something I can be proud of.”
Hinkley edged out early favorites Nathan Buckley and John Longmire to land the job.
Hinkley said his presentation to the Devils board on Sunday was about “character, care and connection” and promised the Devils would play a tough style of football.
“We’ve got some guts here… It’s going to be pretty tough to play against.”
He said success could come quickly if the club makes the list. Expansion club GWS played in the grand final in 2019, seven years after joining the competition. Gold Coast reached the final last season for the first time in their 15-year history.
“If we take [list build] That’s right, don’t be surprised, we’re going to come pretty fast and we’re going to come really hard. It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Hinkley said.
“We’re not going to put any limits on who we go after. We’re just going to go after the right people.”
Gale wanted a senior coach who could unite the island state and form the starting team before entering the league in 2028.
“We think he is an extremely credible, authentic personality who will represent Tasmania and the local football ecosystem,” Gale said.
Devils president Grant O’Brien called Hinkley a “great connector.”
“This is a start-up, and in start-ups you need to be resilient,” he said.
“We didn’t set out to find the candidate with the best win-loss record in this process, we set out to find the right coach for exactly what Tasmania needs right now,” O’Brien added.
“Ken’s ability to build relationships with young players and create an environment that people want to be a part of is outstanding, which is the number one reason why we believe he is a good fit for this club.
“We are building from scratch a roster, a program and a club comprised mostly of young and emerging talent.
“This requires a head coach who is, first and foremost, an excellent teacher and human being, and that is exactly what Ken is.”
Hinkley said while the journey had its ups and downs, the opportunity to build the club and oversee the Devils’ entry into the AFL was special.
“It is such a privilege to have the opportunity to build something from the ground up,” Hinkley said.
“The responsibility of leading Tasmania’s entry into the AFL is something very special, it excites me.
“There will be many ups and downs and challenges ahead, including the building of our football department, but I have unique and directly relevant experience to take these on alongside the wider football club.
“Tasmania is a proud football state and I look forward to getting to know the players, staff, partners and community who have been and will continue to be a part of it from day one.”
Hinkley coached the Power for 13 years and although he did not take them to the flag, they did play in four preliminary finals under his watch.
The Tasmanian job was one of three live coaching stints with Carlton narrowing down the field to replace Michael Voss and Essendon searching for Brad Scott’s replacement.
Hinkley left himself out of the Essendon hunt after James Hird expressed interest in the role.
