Port Adelaide have apologised directly to their members and fans for what's been another poor season, via an impassioned open letter from their CEO Keith Thomas.
After a commanding start to the season playing an exciting brand of football, Port Adelaide have battled in recent months and find themselves bound for another failed season.
The Power haven't reached the finals in four of their past five seasons, and the fans' impatience reached its peak on Saturday night following the club's dour one-point loss to the GWS Giants at home.
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Similar to most scenarios when a club is battling for form, Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has been the subject of much of the blame for the side's woes.
However, Thomas has pleaded with fans to refrain from criticising the coach, instead suggesting it has been his and the club's lack of connection with fans that has them staring down the barrel of another dismal end to the year.
"Coach bashing appears to be standard fare in world sport these days, and whilst often harsh, we do operate in a high performance environment. Success is expected," Thomas wrote.
"All coaches understand this, and Ken is no different.
"Don’t think he doesn’t hear the criticism or feel the disappointment of his players and our members. He does.
"He’s not seeking understanding or respite. He’s simply getting on with the job of navigating a young group through the perils of inconsistency and a brutally tight competition.
"Saturday night was a fierce example of how close it is, and another opportunity to step through the door awaits us in Melbourne this week.
"We can’t wait to get there.
"But I don’t want to focus on the footy in this note.
"I think we have a bigger problem, and I am to blame not the footy department."
Whilst Thomas' desperate plea with fans suggests Hinkley and the broader football department are not under pressure, it comes after club chairman David Koch confirmed Hinkley's position would be reviewed at season's end.
“We review everything at the end of year. This is the absolute honest answer to this -- we review the entire club at the end of the year. We reviewed the entire club at the end of last year, and we’ll be doing it again at the end of this year," Koch told FiveAA's Morning show.
“We have a young list. Ken is the butt of all the criticism and he understands that, he’s the person who has to deliver the performances and get the team up to perform at their best and in charge of the quality and the discipline of the team. He accepts that fully.
“We’ll review it at the end of the year. We’re still one game out of the finals, as weird as that seems at the moment."
Whilst Thomas' open letter to the fans was bold, it recieved mixed response from fans on Monday.
"A young group"? Please, take out the 3 rookies they're not that young. External review required with hinkley, cripps and davies to come under intense scrutiny. Did they collectively think slow, inside mids who can't kick and other unskilled players will win flags?
— Spotty (@spottythompson) July 29, 2019
I'm happy to see a key decision maker at the club finally take some personal responsibility for the last 5 years.
— Adam Ellershaw (@AdamEllershaw) July 29, 2019
I look forward to these words being followed up with action and wrongs being righted.
