Talking about the post truth era Kurt Andersen said that “We now live in a world where the truth is malleable, morality is subjective, and facts are fungible” and this has perhaps been emphasised best by Donald Trump in recent years with varied success.
It also seems to be an approach mirrored at the Koch era Port Adelaide.
Case in point this week on local 5AA radio where Koch fired up about the “misinformation” and “lies” being spread around Ken Hinkley’s re-signing.
In the same interview Koch (who has previously referred to himself as a ‘Professional Bullshitter’) references Port Adelaide going “out in straight sets in 01, 02, 03” as a comparison to their 2020, 2021 and 2023 finals failures, despite port winning a final in both 2002 and 2003. He also references Port Adelaide finishing 3rd in 2023 (despite them finishing 5th after the completion of the season) and states that “at the end of August everyone was over the moon”, ignoring significant supporter unrest at the time of Ken Hinkley’s contract extension.
His comments also question the truth of the clubs stated mission “we exist to win premierships” when he defends Hinkley’s tenure stating “I look at data. The last four years, we have had the second-best win-loss ratio of any club in the competition, behind Brisbane,”
And “It certainly wasn’t a success, because even Ken was saying that our pass mark was to make finals, before unconvincingly correcting himself to say “err to make a preliminary final”.
So what is the expectation? A positive win-loss ratio? Making finals? Making a preliminary final? Or is as the mission statement states to win a premiership?
And if it is the latter how can that be balanced against a coach with the longest one club streak of not even making the grand final, let alone winning a premiership of any coach in AFL history.?
And it is not just Koch. Club CEO Mathew Richardson defending Hinkley (again on 5AA) stated recently that Port has finished top 4 in the last 3 seasons. Despite the club finishing a disappointing 11th in 2022.
And what of coach Ken Kickley who earlier in the year labelled his side “the best list he has ever had”, yet after their finals capitulation stated “here’s certainly some issues around personnel, there’s no doubt about that”, a stretch of the truth at best.
The spin coming from these senior leaders at the club is enough to make you giddy, and that is before we get into the club’s media cheerleaders Kane Cornes. Michelangelo Rucci and Gerard Whately who also seem to have a broad definition of the truth as it applies to Ken Hinkley.
In bygone eras the club hierarchy were far more accountable to speak the truth to the fans or be removed from their roles. However it seems now that the “boys club” that is the AFL controls the board, the approach to the truth is much more aligned with those practices referenced in the book of the same name.
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