Port Adelaide set to announce Josh Carr will replace Ken Hinkley as coach ‘in a matter of days’

Port Adelaide are set to unveil a succession plan that will confirm senior assistant Josh Carr as their next senior coach after Ken Hinkley.

The Power have long been tipped to make the move, but will make it official before the new AFL season gets underway.

Hinkley is in the final year of his contract and is expected to see out the season before stepping aside for Carr.

“Reports out of Adelaide tonight are gaining momentum, and it is now only a matter of days until Josh Carr is announced as Port Adelaide’s next coach,” 7NEWS chief AFL reporter Mitch Cleary said.

“Ken Hinkley, the current coach, does have a contract for 2025 and is expected to coach this year, in what is likely to be his last season at the helm.

“When he does depart, he will be immediately linked to the senior coaching role at Tasmania.”

Hinkley signed a two-year contract extension at the end of 2023, which came just days after Carr withdrew from the Richmond coaching race and committed to staying at Alberton.

That move signalled the likelihood of an eventual handover between Hinkley and Carr.

Hinkley, 58, is the longest-serving coach in the Power’s history, heading into his 13th season after being appointed ahead of the 2013 season.

Despite enjoying a win-loss recover of over 60 per cent from his 165 games coached, Hinkley is often criticised for his finals failures and has been booed by his own fans on multiple occasions.

The Power have four top-four finishes from the past five years, but have failed to reach a grand final each time, including last year when they suffered heavy losses to Geelong and Sydney.

But Hinkley still has the full support of the playing group.

“I’d want nothing more than to win a flag with Kenny, so I can’t wait to get into the season with him,” captain Connor Rozee told 7NEWS.

Rozee also hit back at critics expecting the Power to slide down the ladder this season.

“It’s got to the stage that a lot of people don’t know what they are talking about and we know what we are as a team and what we’ve proven over the last couple of years,” he added.

Carr has long been tipped as an AFL coach in waiting.

The 44-year-old transitioned straight into coaching after his 207-game playing career came to an end in 2010.

Carr, who played for both Port Adelaide and Fremantle, was also an assistant coach at both clubs before rejoining the Power as senior assistant for the 2023 season.