Ken Hinkley Appointed Inaugural AFL Head Coach of the Tasmania Devils

The Tasmania Devils has officially named Ken Hinkley as the club’s inaugural AFL head coach, marking a major milestone as the expansion franchise builds towards its entry into the competition in 2028.

Hinkley arrives in Tasmania following a highly successful 13-year tenure coaching Port Adelaide from 2013 to 2025. During his time at the helm, he compiled an impressive 58.6% winning record, guiding the Power to 174 victories from 297 games, seven finals campaigns, and a minor premiership in 2020.

Twice named the AFL Coaches Association Coach of the Year, Hinkley departs Port Adelaide as the coach with the highest winning percentage in the club’s history.

Highlighting Hinkley’s proven capacity to cultivate strong player relationships and foster high-performance environments as the decisive factors in the appointment, noting that the club prioritised a “builder of people” for their list of largely young and developing talent, Tasmania chair, Grant O’Brien, said: “We didn’t set out to find the candidate with the single best win-loss record in this process, we set out to find the right coach for exactly what Tasmania needs right now.”

“Ken’s ability to build relationships with young players, and to build an environment that people want to be part of is exceptional… That demands a head coach who is, first and foremost, a brilliant teacher and a builder of people, and that is exactly what Ken is,” O’Brien said. 

Drawing on his background as an assistant coach under Mark Thompson during Geelong’s premiership era, Hinkley expressed his enthusiasm for taking on the historic challenge of shaping a new club from scratch.

“The responsibility to lead Tasmania’s entry into the AFL is something very special, it excites me.”

“There will be many ups and downs, and challenges that lie ahead, including the build of our football department, but I have unique and directly relevant experience to take these on alongside the broader football club,” Hinkley added.

Hinkley has signed a five-year deal that will keep him with the Devils until the end of 2031. He will commence his duties with Tasmania’s football department immediately, overseeing the club’s continued progression through its VFL and VFLW programs as it prepares for its historic 2028 AFL and AFLW debuts.

The club also anticipates naming its inaugural AFLW head coach before the conclusion of 2026.

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