Ken Hinkley is set to be unveiled as the Tasmania Devils’ first head coach on Monday after impressing the board with his final presentation.
The former Geelong star beat out the likes of Nathan Buckley and John Longmire to become the coach of the AFL’s 19th team when they join the league in 2028.
Hinkley’s appointment has been widely reported across Australia with an official presentation by the Tassies yet to come.
According to those reports, he travelled to Hobart on Sunday in the final stage of the Devils’ selection process.
Geelong assistant Nathan Buckley and Swans coach John Longmire were among those to meet with the club’s selection panel ahead of a decision.
Hinkley though had been a target for Tasmania and was told he would be the last person to make a presentation to the panel.
Ken Hinkley is expected to be announced as the inaugural head coach of the Tasmania Devils
Hinkley was given the role after his presentation to the club’s selection panel on Sunday
The Devils will join the league in 2028 and still need to find a football manager to round out their leadership team
And after such a long, drawn-out process their social media account teased a decision.
In the post on X they showed an unidentified man picking up a Tassie polo shirt from an empty chair.
Alastair Lynch, Devils director told Fox Footy that he had sat in on the board meeting as Hinkley made his presentation.
At the time he also said the process was ongoing, though it would seem a decision has now been made.
‘We are really lucky and in a fortunate situation where we have a number of very good candidates,’ Lynch said.
‘He [Hinkley] was interviewed in Hobart before the game started today. I was involved in that process. He presented to the board.
‘I can’t confirm [whether he has been appointed]. That process continues. It’s been going for a number of months and this is another step. [The presentation] was all going reasonably well but the process hasn’t concluded yet.’
It would seem it didn’t take long for Lynch and company to make a decision with the news breaking shortly thereafter.
Tasmania were handed a major boost in their hunt for their new coach when Hinkley ruled himself out of the Essendon race due to James Hird’s interest.
And Longmire was on the shortlist, though his role with the Swans played a role in him having somewhat of a measured outlook on the potential opening.
‘When you are in a position that he is in, such a well-credentialled coach, and he has got a great role at a great club a lot has got to be right for it to be a fit for both parties and I think that is where it is at for John and Tassie,’ Longmire’s manager Liam Pickering said on SEN.
One thing that has become apparent given the list of candidates was the desire of the club to hire an experienced hand to guide their first years in the league.
And that is exactly what they are getting from Hinkley who was the Port Adelaide coach for 13 years before his departure at the end of last season.
He is regarded as an excellent man manager and has been given the task of creating a hard-working football club culture to get the team moving in the right direction from the very start.
Hinkley’s long career in the game also means he has a great working relationship with many senior coaches and executives within the AFL providing further reasoning for the Devils to select their coach.
The work isn’t finished for the Devils’ ownership though, as they are still trying to find a football manager to complete their on-field leadership group.
