The potential for Port Adelaide to lose Ken Hinkley to the Gold Coast Suns is real according to former Power midfielder, Kane Cornes.
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The Suns remain without a coach after sacking Rodney Eade towards the end of the 2017 season, with Cornes revealing the deep love the club has for the Port Adelaide coach.
Hinkley is contracted to Port until the end of 2018, but that may not be enough to keep the 50-year-old at Alberton, according to Cornes.
In addition to this, SEN reporter Sam McClure has revealed the Suns will enquire about the possibility of luring the Power coach north, after serving as an assistant on the Gold Coast from 2009-2012.
"I've been saying for a while that Port need to look to extend Ken, he is contracted until the end of next year, but the Gold Coast love him," Cornes told SEN Breakfast on Thursday.
"They think one of the big reasons for their drop off and the way they're going, is because they lost Ken Hinkley.
"It's no surprise that Gold Coast would ask the question. (Port Adelaide chairman, David Koch) said he won't let Ken go, so I don't think anything will happen.
"I expect Ken to be extended, but you'd be certainly asking the question if you're the Gold Coast Suns."
The Power are set to face off with West Coast on Saturday night in a cut-throat elimination final at the Adelaide Oval.
Gold Coast finished the year in 17th place, and have seemingly gone backwards in their development since being introduced into the competition in 2011.