PORT Adelaide chairman David Koch's declaration on Friday that the club must make finals in 2017 is only giving voice to what everyone is thinking, according to Power coach Ken Hinkley.
In an interview on FiveAA on Friday, Koch said the club could not fail to make the final eight for a third year in succession.
"That is the same as every year. Last year we failed and the year before we failed; two years of failure in a row. It can’t be a third," Koch said.
The chairman denied Hinkley was under any more pressure than anyone else at the club to deliver on that ambition.
"The entire club is under pressure, not just one person," Koch said.
Hinkley told AFL.com.au the chairman's comments were consistent with what he thought and he was unperturbed.
"He [Koch] is only saying what a lot of people are thinking," Hinkley said.
"He is probably a bit more direct but I don't think it is a big issue for us."
The Power won just 10 games last year and 12 in 2015, but Hinkley is also confident the club will be playing finals this year.
"Let's understand the business. It's a pressure industry. It's performance based. It's all about winning and losing and we know there is a consequence from all of that," Hinkley said.
Port Adelaide has re-established itself under Hinkley and Koch, reaching finals in 2013 and 2014 before two lean, inconsistent years.
A three-point loss to eventual premiers, the Western Bulldogs, and a win over North Melbourne were the club's best efforts against 2016's final eight teams.
Hinkley said a strong end-of-season review had been followed by a solid pre-season, with several players being tried in new positions and a positive environment had been created among the team.
"I know that if I do my absolute best and I work as hard as I can and my team and the whole football department that I work with do exactly the same thing we'll be OK and we'll get the results that we have to get," Hinkley said.
"Clearly everyone starts the season wanting to play finals. We are no different at Port Adelaide."
Port Adelaide plays St Kilda on Thursday night at Etihad in its first JLT Community Series.
