The AFL has asked Port Adelaide to explain themselves over coach Ken Hinkley’s fiery exchange with some Hawthorn players after Friday night’s thrilling semi-final.
“Confirming we are issuing a please explain to Port Adelaide regarding Ken Hinkley’s post-match interaction with Hawthorn players,” an AFL spokesperson said on Saturday.
Hawks captain James Sicily hit the post in the last minute and the Power held on to set up a preliminary final against Sydney next week. But in the midst of the celebrations Hinkley was spotted angrily mouthing off at Hawthorn players.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today 
Hinkley immediately apologised in his press conference for exchanging words with Hawthorn youngster Jack Ginnivan, and then Sicily, in heated post-match scenes.
Ginnivan last week made headlines for making a pre-emptive comment on former teammate Brodie Grundy’s Instagram post, saying “see u (sic) in 14 days”, as if to suggest the Hawks were guaranteed to advance past the Power and face Sydney in next week’s preliminary final.
When that backfired on Ginnivan, Hinkley wanted to let him know about it, shouting out to the youngster, “You’re not flying”, while holding out his arms like an aeroplane.
Furious that the 57-year-old coach had “mouthed off” at Ginnivan after the final siren, as described by Luke Hodge, Sicily bit back at Hinkley and the pair exchanged heated words before the Hawthorn skipper was pulled back by teammates.
The circuit breaker was the teams applauding as Sicily helped chair off Hawks great Luke Breust following his 300th game.
“I can’t recall exactly what was said. He (Hinkley) was talking to our players and said something to Ginni,” Sicily said after the game.
“I think what I do as a leader is I always have my teammates’ back and I will stick up for them regardless of who is in the right or the wrong.
“It is something I pride myself on and I don’t regret it one bit really.”
Sicily said the only thing he would change about the incident would be giving Breust a better acknowledgement for his milestone.
“That’s probably the only thing I am disappointed in, that I wasn’t fully present in that moment,” he said.
“But yeah, it’s not the first time that Ken has done that and it won’t be the last. It’s an emotional game and sometimes it gets the better of us.
“I think those things are better done behind closed doors, particularly when there was a moment to celebrate Punk (Breust). Instead there was gloss taken off it a little bit.”
Former Hawthorn players Luke Hodge, Jordan Lewis and Shaun Burgoyne led the criticism of Hinkley in their roles as TV commentators.
Hodge was unimpressed, saying on Channel 7: “You use it as motivation to build the blokes up to say if he gets near the ball, you go and get him.
“But, as soon as you win and the siren goes, the game is over. He is a 60-year-old man. Act your age. You don’t go and start stuff like that.”
Burgoyne, also speaking on Seven, said Hinkley needed to be gracious in victory and added the Port players laughing was not a good look.
“Leave it for social media … Luke Breust is being celebrated for his 300th game, show him the respect he deserves as well,” said Burgoyne, who played for Port before going to the Hawks.
“It was embarrassing, from my point of view. How he did it and where he did it, you understand Luke Breust was coming off, there was going to be a guard of honour,’ Lewis said on Fox Footy.
Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell was proud of Sicily for backing Ginnivan.
Asked if he would speak with Hinkley, Mitchell replied, “absolutely not”.
Hinkley, though, quickly regretted his comments, explaining to Seven in the rooms that he had told Ginnivan he wasn’t going anywhere.
“I probably shouldn’t have done it, I should apologise to the boys … but the reality was, you throw something our way, we’re going to throw something back eventually,” Hinkley said.
He then opened his post-game media conference by saying he regretted the incident.
“It just goes to show that everyone can get better. I am trying to still get better,” Hinkley said.
– With AAP
