Arabic version: تعيين كين هينكلي أول مدرب لفريق تسمانيا ديفلز في دوري AFL
According to The Guardian, former Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has been appointed the Tasmania Devils’ inaugural AFL coach on a five-year deal as the expansion club prepares to enter the competition in 2028.
The 59-year-old presented to Devils chief executive Brendon Gale and Tasmania’s board in Hobart on Sunday. He was selected ahead of Nathan Buckley and John Longmire, who had both expressed interest in the position. The agreement will run through to the end of 2031.
“It’s a huge privilege to be given the opportunity to build something from the very beginning,” Hinkley said. “The responsibility to lead Tasmania’s entry into the AFL is something very special, it excites me.” He said Tasmania was a proud football state and that he looked forward to getting to know the club’s players, staff, partners and community.
Gale said the club had not sought the candidate with the best individual win-loss record, but the coach it believed Tasmania Football Club needed at this stage. He cited Hinkley’s ability to build relationships with young players and create an environment people want to join as the main reason for the appointment.
Hinkley coached Port Adelaide from 2013 to 2025, recording 174 wins from 297 matches for a 58.6% winning record. He led Port to three preliminary finals and was named coach of the year in 2013 and 2020. Since leaving Port at the end of the 2025 season, he has worked in the media for Fox Footy and SEN. The Devils began playing in the VFL and VFLW competitions this season.
