AFL orders ‘please explain’ to Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley for taunting Hawthorn players after semifinal

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley is full of regret but Hawthorn captain James Sicily has none from the bitter aftermath of their dramatic AFL semi-final.

The AFL has ordered Hinkley to explain his taunting of Hawk players after Port’s three-point victory at Adelaide Oval on Friday night.

“We are issuing a please explain to Port Adelaide regarding Ken Hinkley’s post-match interaction with Hawthorn players,” an AFL spokesman said on Saturday.

Hinkley directed verbal jibes at polarising forward Jack Ginnivan just minutes after the Power knocked the Hawks out of the finals.

Sicily, who missed a set shot at goal with 63 seconds remaining to put his side in front, stepped in to defend his teammate.

“I can’t recall exactly what was said. He (Hinkley) was talking to our players and said something to Ginni,” Sicily told reporters on Saturday.

“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 had heated words with Hinkley as players from both clubs formed a guard of honour for Hawthorn’s 300-gamer Luke Bruest as he left the field.

“That’s probably the only thing I am disappointed in, that I wasn’t fully present in that moment,” Sicily 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.

“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.”

Hinkley, in his post-game media conference, said he was out of line.

“I regret the comment ... I should have stayed out of that comment but I didn’t,” he said.

Hinkley traced his reaction back to Ginnivan’s social media comment last weekend which, he said, fuelled Port’s motivation for the sudden-death final.

Ginnivan, responding to an Instagram post by Sydney ruckman Brodie Grundy, wrote: “see u in 14 days”, referring to next weekend’s preliminary finals.

“There was stuff said during last week that I certainly didn’t enjoy - but I shouldn’t have let that moment get to me,” Hinkley said.

“What was done during the week was done and I responded to it in an emotional state which shouldn’t be the case.

“We as a footy club found it a little bit disrespectful ... but everyone has their right to speak freely.”

Sicily said Ginnivan was remorseful for giving Port ammunition.

“Jack openly admitted during the week to the leaders that he really wished he didn’t do it,” Sicily said.

“... It was cheeky. I don’t think the game was lost or won on motivation because of it, it wasn’t necessarily a direct attack at Ken, at Port Adelaide.”

Port Adelaide chief executive Matthew Richardson will front the media later on Saturday as the fall-out continues.

Hinkley’s inflammatory comments came after the Power pipped the Hawks, winning 11.9 (75) to 11.6 (72), to advance to a preliminary final against Sydney at the SCG.

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell, post-game, was proud of Sicily standing up for Ginnivan.

“We had a very young player (Ginnivan) who had some aggressive words said to him by a much older man who has been in the game for a long time,” Mitchell said.

“And I am really proud of our captain, who would have been just as emotional (as Hinkley), was able to stand up and lead in a way that he could be proud of.”