Georgie Parker: In defence of Ken Hinkley after his James Sicily sledge

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Georgie Parker: In defence of Ken Hinkley after his James Sicily sledge

AFL fans have short-term memory loss… or at least are just are very selective with what they want to remember.

We decide we like someone for our club and the standard we set on them doesn’t seem to apply to others.

Ken Hinkley’s post-match behaviour after Port’s win was perhaps in poor taste, but when you put it into the narrative of the week, it fit.

Media commentators — mostly former Hawthorn players, mind you — plus Hawks supporters and coach Sam Mitchell were all very quick to sing out how Ken was in the wrong and some very choice words were thrown out over social media about him.

While watching this unfold as a very much neutral supporter, all I was thinking was there are plenty of rocks being thrown from those living in glass houses.

Mitchell obviously forgot all about his awful ***** taunts to Essendon players back in the day.

And are these the same supporters who continually defend Alastair Clarkson — a coach has been fined time and time again for the way he lashes out at players, fans and journalists?

Now, I am positive if Hinkley had his time again he wouldn’t have done this. Not because what he did was wrong, but because of the week of conversations on footy shows and articles like this which will be written about him.

He knows he’s now opened himself up for it to be thrown back in is face next week which, I’m sure, is a distraction you don’t need coming in to a preliminary final.

But what he did wasn’t wrong, it wasn’t aggressive and it wasn’t offensive — a far cry from Clarkson lashing out at a player earlier this year, for example.

The message here is to stop having double standards.

We are begging out for players and coaches to show expression, like both Jack Ginnivan and Hinkley did, but, we are only seemingly wanting them to do it in our clubs colours.

The turn from Collingwood supporters on Ginnivan, for example, from one year to the next has been enormous.

Camera IconJack Ginnivan. Credit: AAP

When he celebrates the way he does in your colours it’s fun and exciting, but in another team’s its arrogant and showy. We want coaches to not be robots and stand up for their team, so when yours does it it’s passionate and fair but when another club’s coach does, it’s unsportsmanlike and pathetic.

For me, this message isn’t really whether or not what Ginnivan or Hinkley did is right or wrong. That’s for you to decide and where you see that line is.

But the message here is to stop having double standards. For what you accept of your players, your coach and your club, place that same expectation on the rest, because that coach or player might be at your club one day, and you’ll have egg on your face if you then have to change your tune on them.

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#Georgie #Parker #defence #Ken #Hinkley #James #Sicily #sledge

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