Ken Hinkley reads as an inspired choice to helm the Tasmania Devils as they venture into the AFL landscape.
A renowned motivator, and a lauded connector of men, Hinkley boasts the grit to do the dirty work and the polish to present to stakeholders.
However, if he's to maximise the club's considerable draft and list concessions, and ultimately bring the cup to the Apple Isle, he'll be doing something that he never achieved in more than a decade with the Power, and something the inaugural coach of an AFL team has never, ever done.
Not every inaugural coach struggled - some almost broke even by the conclusion of their tenure.
Take a trip down memory lane, as we rank the inaugural coaches of AFL teams!
2. Port Adelaide Power / John Cahill
The man whose name adorns the medal at Alberton coached and played in a combined 14 SANFL flags at the storied club. Cahill was tasked with guiding the Power through their step up into the national competition, albeit as a 'separate entity' to their SANFL counterparts - a decision still derided, and publicly stood against by way of the Power's pre-match rendition of 'Never Tear Us Apart'.
There was a succession plan in the works, with the club's first AFL premiership coach, Mark Williams, succeeding his former coach Cahill after 19 wins from 44 outings across the club's first two seasons in the national competition. Cahill's role in luring talent to the club ahead of its venture onto the national stage is arguably his biggest contribution to Port's AFL operations, with names like Gavin Wanganeen making a beeline for the Alberton base upon the granting of the Power's license.
The succession plan would bear fruit, with the Power summiting the AFL in 2004, after three consecutive years as minor premiers.
