Port Adelaide boss David Koch lashed for making up finals stats to defend under siege club as Charlie Dixon says critics’ opinions are worth 2 cents
- Finished third on the AFL ladder
- Crashed in straight sets
- Faced with intense scrutiny
Port Adelaide chairman David Koch has launched an embarrassing defense of the underinvested club, trashing finals statistics from two decades ago in an attempt to answer the club’s critics.
Port Adelaide has come under fire for bowing out of the AFL finals in straight sets this season after missing the finals entirely in 2022.
The club finished third on the ladder but lost consecutive games to the Brisbane Lions and then GWS at home to meekly exit the finals.
That has led to heavy criticism of the players and coach Ken Hinkley, with Koch trying to douse the flames by using the 2004 premiership year as an example.
He claimed that Power had to endure finals pain in recent years before claiming the premiership, but got his numbers completely wrong.
“We went straight sets in ’01, ’02, ’03. The club stayed together and really focused in ’04, he said on FiveAA radio.
“Everyone has very short memories.”
Chairman David Koch incorrectly said the club had been eliminated in straight sets in the 2002 and 2003 finals series
It’ll be another off-season quest for Port Adelaide’s players after crashing out of the 2023 finals
Port Adelaide won the 2004 AFL premiership, but David Koch’s claims that the club were bounced from the previous three finals series in straight sets were incorrect.
However, Port Adelaide did not go out in straight sets in two of those seasons, beating Essendon in both 2002 and 2004 to reach the preliminary final.
“Kochie is just lying, we didn’t go out in straight sets in 02 and 03,” one fan commented.
“@Kochie_online take a history lesson,” another fan fired back.
‘In 2002 and 2003 we didn’t go out in straight sets. We played Essendon in successive semi-finals, all of which we won, and played Brisbane in Brisbane and then Collingwood at the G in the preliminary rounds.
‘I was at both. Were you?’
The club’s preparation for the club’s finals matches was also questioned, with Port Adelaide reportedly using the World War II film Oppenheimer as inspiration, while champion goalscorer Jeremy Finalyson was controversially dropped.
Star striker Charlie Dixon angrily fired back at the club’s critics, implying their opinions were worthless.
Speaking to Channel Ten, Dixon fumed: ‘That’s what they’re going to do, put their two cents out there’
Whether it’s worth anything, it’s probably worth that, two cents,’ he said angrily.
“That’s about it.”
Striker Charlie Dixon has fired back at the club’s critics, saying their opinions are worth just two cents
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley is under pressure after the stacked Power side bowed out in straight sets in the 2023 AFL final
Port Adelaide started the 2022 season with an 0-5 start, putting pressure on coach Hinkley this season,
Despite failing in the final, Koch said he remained the man for the job.
“Ken is the best person to take the club forward,” he said.
‘He developed a central midfield that didn’t work hard enough in the final.’
Dixon said the players took personal responsibility for their final surrender, working with the younger players to make the experience better.
“They wear it, of course they wear it,” he said.
“They see the statistics… but it’s young kids who will learn from it.