AFL great Rory Sloane has floated a “fried” Ken Hinkley as a possible senior assistant coach for Melbourne after Simon Goodwin was sacked from the club.
It comes after Eddie McGuire also told the Demons to “shutup” after another key decision was leaked to the media before it was officially announced.
Goodwin’s sacking means attention now turns to who the Demons will appoint as head coach with a number of big names in the mix. Whether they’re interested is yet to be confirmed.
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One man who wouldn’t be interested is James Hird.
“No … I’d be flattered someone would think about it but no that’s not something (I’d be interested in),” he said on Nine’s Footy Classified after McGuire told him the club would seek a conversation.
James Hird on Nine’s Footy Classified. Nine
The other notable names are John Longmire, Adam Simpson, Nathan Buckley, Ken Hinkley, Corey Enright, Hayden Skipworth, Brendon Lade and Brett Montgomery.
Sloane believes Hinkley and Enright as a combination could work.
“I’d go Ken Hinkley as a senior assistant and Corey Enright underneath, they’ve worked together before at Geelong, I think Geelong has been one of the most successful clubs over the time,” he said.
Asked whether Hinkley would go back to an assistant role after 13 years in charge of Port Adelaide, Sloane think it’s possible.
“I think so, I think he’s fried. There’s been so much speculation over Ken for so many years, I don’t think he’d want to slot back in to a senior coach role,” he said.
Ken Hinkley. AFL Photos via Getty Images
The head coach search could heat up with pressure on Michael Voss at Carlton while the Tasmania Devils will want a coach too, if they are to enter the league in 2027 as planned.
Goodwin’s sacking was revealed by Nine’s Tom Morris on Tuesday morning only minutes after players had been informed by the club.
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It comes after incoming CEO Paul Guerra’s appointment was leaked earlier in the year. Guerra appeared on Footy Classified after his appointment, signalling his intent to stop the leaks.
McGuire believes the sacking of a coach is a situation where people at the club should “shutup”.
“At this time, for the Melbourne Football Club to galvanise together, shutup for one hour so they can announce it and have the coach sit there with the president and look like a club that might be able to attract a coach and players and get past what has been an unmitigated disaster in the last number of years,” he said.
