New Port Adelaide director of coaching Shaun Hart with senior coach Ken Hinkley. Hinkley says he was "staggered" to be able to sign the three-time premiership star. Picture: Simon Cross Source: News Limited
TEN years ago Shaun Hart unknowingly helped set Port Adelaide on the path to a premiership, now he's here to help them win another.
With the Power ecstatic to secure the three-time Brisbane Lions premiership player as Alan Richardson's replacement in the director of coaching role, Hart revealed he played an indirect role in Port's 2004 flag.
With Brisbane celebrating its third straight flag in 2003, Hart gave an interview for Adelaide radio and was asked why Brisbane had a stranglehold on the AFL premiership, while Port Adelaide consistently won minor premierships but folded come September.
The 2001 Norm Smith Medallist answered the question with the trademark honesty, unwittingly triggering a culture change at Alberton.
"I answered out of my heart and I said 'we play for each other more'," Hart recalls.
"My follow up story to that is that I got told that motivated Port Adelaide into the 2004 season.
"They decided they were going to prove me wrong and that whole philosophy wrong …
"I found out the day after the (2004) grand final, reading the Herald Sun , having breakfast.
"There was an article that said 'Lions sledge motivates Power victory'.
"I thought 'which one of my teammates has said something silly'.
"I read the article and there's my name it in, in the first paragraph.
"Mark Williams was quoted saying that sledge of 12 months before … had motivated the Power to change what it was."
It was Hart's trademark honesty in answering that question 10 years ago that made him Power coach Ken Hinkley's dream replacement for Richardson, who is now senior coach at St Kilda.
Hart, a gutsy 273 game midfielder at the Lions from 1990-2004, spent five seasons at the Suns, most recently as their reserves and development coach.
He worked with Hinkley for three years, and the Power coach yesterday said he was shocked Port was able to coax Hart out of the Gold Coast.
"We talk about bringing quality and character to our football club and that's the number one thing we want to bring, we've achieved that in spades with Shaun,'' Hinkley said.
"I know what he's like, I've seen him work first hand for three years, with wanting to help people and improve people …
"I'm staggered to be sitting here with Shaun to be honest, I didn't think we could get him out of the Gold Coast."
When asked how he would help the Power of 2014 improve on last season's fifth-place finish, Hart drew back to his remarks about Port post-2003.
"Premierships are won because it's the team - in the heat of the battle, when it gets right down to the wire - that plays for each other the most, that I believe will triumph," said Hart.
Hinkley said Hart would fill a similar role to Richardson although it would not be identical, with Hart encouraged to work his great strength - the ability to teach young players.
"We don't want to sit here and compare Richo (Richardson) to Shaun, we want to compare where the Port Adelaide Football Club sits today with the person we've been able to bring into it, and we know we've made a massive step forward with Shaun," Hinkley said.
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