Josh Carr has shot down talk he's going to merely walk into Ken Hinkley's role, saying the veteran Port Adelaide coach is still going strong and is determined to turn things around.
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Hinkley's future is a hot talking point after the Power copped a 79-point hammering from Brisbane on Saturday.
The 12th-year coach was widely booed by Port supporters during the embarrassing home loss, placing further doubt on whether he will be able to see out a contract that runs until the end of 2025.
Three consecutive losses have plunged Port (8-6) to eighth on the ladder ahead of Sunday's clash with St Kilda at Marvel Stadium.
Carr is Hinkley's right-hand man, and is considered among the favourites to move into the hot seat if the club decide to move on the 57-year-old.
But Carr was quick to downplay that talk when he fronted the media on Monday, saying he is there to support Hinkley and that no one deserves to be parachuted into a role without going through a process.
"There's always a process. I don't expect to walk into anything," Carr told reporters.
"Ken comes into work every day and all he wants to do is make this club better. He's still going strong."
Carr said he and Hinkley have a healthy relationship in which they push and challenge each other.
"We talk a lot. We get everything out on the table," Carr said.
"As a close coaching group, you lean on each other, you challenge each other.
"I challenge Ken with a lot of things, he challenges me on a lot of things.
"We'll argue, but it comes from a place of care and respect, and we come out the other side better."
Carr said he understood why some supporters had decided to express their frustrations by booing during the loss to Brisbane.
"They probably feel let down when they come to games," Carr said.
"It's hard work in society right now with money and things like that, so they walk away disappointed.
"They've invested their money and time into it, and they feel like they're being let down.
"But I can assure them that we're doing everything we can to get ourselves back."
Star midfielder Zak Butters has also hit the headlines in recent weeks for his ill discipline.
Butters was fortunate to overturn a one-match ban at the AFL Tribunal last week for slapping GWS midfielder Tom Green in the face.
The 23-year-old was hit with a $6250 fine over the weekend after being charged with striking Brisbane's Jarrod Berry in another off-the-ball incident.
It marked Butters' fourth offence.
"I'd like to think it's probably not going to happen again," Carr said.
"It was a reaction that he doesn't need to do.
"There's no doubt other clubs would look at it and go, 'We can frustrate him'."
Australian Associated Press
