Port Adelaide chairman David Koch has delivered a blunt and unequivocal message about the club's ambitions, establishing finals qualification as the non-negotiable pass mark for new senior coach Josh Carr in his inaugural season at the helm.
A Clear Benchmark for Success
In a frank assessment that leaves no room for ambiguity, Koch revealed the Power have officially banned the term "rebuild" from their organisational vocabulary, dismissing it categorically as an excuse for failure. This decisive stance underscores the club's unwavering expectation to contend immediately under Carr's leadership.
"It's always finals. We banned the word rebuild. Rebuild is an excuse for failure," Koch told 7NEWS, as the club embarks on a new era following the departure of long-time coach Ken Hinkley.
High Expectations in Line with Great Clubs
Koch emphasised that Port Adelaide should hold itself to the same lofty standards as other elite AFL clubs, with perennial finals contention being the baseline requirement. "Josh knows that we're a club that always wants to contend for finals, like so many of the other great AFL clubs. We should be no different. That's always the pass mark," he stated firmly.
These comments arrive in the wake of observations from Port Adelaide Brownlow medallist Ollie Wines, who suggested the team had become "a bit stale" over the past couple of seasons under Hinkley's tenure. While Koch pushed back on that specific characterisation, pointing to the club's preliminary final appearance just two seasons ago, he did acknowledge a shift in atmosphere.
Fresh Energy with New Coaching Group
The chairman recognised the infusion of new energy brought by Carr's appointment and the return of former star forward Stuart Dew to the coaching panel. "It's a whole new coaching group and I think that's brought a freshness, it's brought an excitement, and I think the players have really appreciated it," Koch noted, highlighting the positive reception within the playing squad.
This fresh start follows a challenging period where Port Adelaide slid to a thirteenth-place finish last season, a significant decline from their second-place position on the ladder at the end of the previous home-and-away season, which culminated in a preliminary final loss to Sydney at the SCG.
Building Foundations for Ultimate Success
While setting the immediate benchmark at finals qualification, Koch also stressed the importance of establishing robust foundations for sustained success. He articulated a clear understanding of the club's ultimate ambition while focusing on the daily processes required to achieve it.
"Supporters exist to win premierships, we know that," Koch affirmed. "You've got to put the processes in place for success. But we've got to put in the behaviours and the processes each and every day of training and every game to achieve the dream and the pass mark to make finals."
This dual focus on immediate results and long-term development creates a challenging but clear mandate for Josh Carr as he begins his tenure, with the word "rebuild" conspicuously absent from the club's official lexicon and finals football firmly established as the minimum acceptable outcome.
