Tasmania is proud to announce the appointment of Ken Hinkley as the inaugural AFL head coach, marking another significant milestone ahead of the club's AFL debut in 2028. 

Hinkley joins Tasmania after coaching Port Adelaide from 2013 to 2025, compiling an outstanding winning record of 58.6 per cent, guiding the Power to 174 victories from his 297 games at the helm.

Twice named the AFL Coaches Association Coach of the Year, Hinkley led Port Adelaide to seven finals campaigns, a minor premiership in 2020, and finished his tenure with the highest winning percentage of any coach to lead the Power.

Across his time at Port Adelaide, Hinkley built a reputation as a genuine father figure to his players, forming close and enduring bonds with successive generations of young talent, and creating a culture that both players and staff have consistently described as one they want to belong to.

“I am thrilled to announce Ken Hinkley as Tasmania’s inaugural AFL head coach,” Tasmania’s Chair Grant O’Brien said.

“We conducted a thorough and complete process to get us to this significant announcement.

“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, it is the number one reason we believe he is the right fit for this club.

“We are building a list, a program and a club from the ground up, largely with young and developing talent.

“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.”

A committed teacher of the game, Hinkley has a passion for development built on fundamentals, an approach he carried from his time as an assistant coach under Mark Thompson at premiership-winning Geelong sides, and one squarely suited to developing a young, largely unproven inaugural list.

“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. 

"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.

“Tasmania is a proud football state, and I can't wait to get to know the players, staff, partners and community who have, and will continue to be part of this from day one.”

Hinkley will begin working with Tasmania’s football department immediately, ahead of the club's continued build-up through its VFL and VFLW programs and towards AFL and AFLW competition debuts in 2028.

Whilst this appointment represents a significant cornerstone of the football department, the club is well underway in adding other complimentary leaders that, together with Hinkley, will create an outstanding football and coaching department.

The Devils expect to appoint their inaugural AFLW head coach by the end of 2026.