Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley believes he still has the drive to lead the club to premiership glory despite his decision to commence a succession plan with senior assistant coach Josh Carr.
After 13 years as head coach, boasting the third-best win ratio of any club since his tenure began, Hinkley will depart his role with Carr set to take the reins, with an official handover announced on Wednesday to take place at the conclusion of the 2025 season.
Carr has been long rumoured to replace Hinkley, and will enter the role after three consecutive seasons under Hinkley's guidance, following stints at Fremantle, head coaching SANFL side North Adelaide, and an earlier five-year term as assistant coach at the Power following his playing days in teal.
Hinkley did consider stepping aside for the 2025 season, but believes he has the 'energy and passion' to help the Power for one last season.
"I'm still right to do it. I still have the energy and the passion to do it," Hinkley said.
"I think there's some help I can give the club and Josh to be 100 per cent ready.
"What I do like about the clarity for this is the great preparation time and that it doesn't jeopardise our program. We have too good of a program with great people that would have any damage done to this program this year by this handover.
"All it will do is reinforce our commitment."
Hinkley stated he is unsure about where his future lies, delaying a decision on his future employment until after he has led the Power for one final season.
The 58-year-old assured that wherever he ends up after he hands over his role will remain within the football industry, and potentially at Port Adelaide.
"I've got no idea what's next. I'm not in a hurry to worry about that," Hinkley said.
"I'm a bit of a worker. I'm not in a hurry to make any decisions, and it certainly won't be before I've finished my task to coach Port Adelaide.
"(My future) can't not be (in football), whether it's as a supporter, as a coach or something else, I don't know, but I think it's in football."
Succession plans have not always gone according to script, with messy splits from previous head coaches Mick Malthouse and Alastair Clarkson clouding their respective clubs' change of the guard.
The former Magpies coach caused tensions in his succession plan with Nathan Buckley due to his on-field success in the lead-up to the handover. The Pies had just won the 2010 premiership and finished runners-up in 2011 in the two years prior to Buckley's takeover in 2012.
With Port Adelaide reaching yet another preliminary final under Hinkley in 2024, the current coach could potentially be sent off with a premiership win, although the Power have been unable to progress past the penultimate week of finals since he began coaching the side in 2013.
It seems unlikely a premiership win would cause any fuss amongst the pair's handover and remains a desirable achievement for Hinkley before his inevitable exit from the Port Adelaide coaching ranks.
"We all know what I want. What I get? I'm not sure," Hinkley said.
"What we all want, as a footy club, is the same thing. That'd be a great story for us all, but it doesn't always happen that way."
Hinkley's first match to coach in his final season as coach comes against Collingwood in Round 1, with the club to travel to Victoria to play the Pies on a Saturday night at the MCG.
