Port Adelaide’s outgoing coach Ken Hinkley has suggested history may not be on St Kilda’s side in the fight to keep Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, as speculation over the star’s next move intensifies.
The 21-year-old, yet to put pen to paper on a new deal, has been heavily linked with a return to his native South Australia and a possible switch to Port. Hinkley, who is wrapping up his 13th and final season in charge, stopped short of making a prediction, but noted that drawn-out contract talks often point in one direction.
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“History would tell you that long term, late in the season, those decisions do seem to go a certain way,” Hinkley said on Wednesday. “But I’m not going to make any prediction on any of that because I have no information and I can’t help you in any way to predict the outcome.”
Franklin adds weight to speculation
Former goalkicking great Lance Franklin was more forthright, telling The Buddy & Shane Show that “if you’re not locked away now, you’re gone”.
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He added: “I think he’s gone, I think he’s definitely going. For me, why would you hold out so long? This has taken all year. If the decision was to stay, it would’ve happened weeks ago, I would’ve thought.”
Hinkley also brushed aside reports linking Collingwood’s Beau McCreery to Port, and reflected on the AFL’s fevered trade period gossip.
“Everyone gets linked everywhere… What I do know about footy is that about 1 per cent come true,” he said.