KEN Hinkley is contractually halfway along the path to being Port Adelaide’s longest-serving AFL coach — and still far from his real ambition as a premiership master at the Power.

Hinkley’s original four-year contract — that ended next season — has been extended to the end of 2018. This six-season term is half the 12-year, 274-game record set by premiership mentor Mark Williams from 1999-2010.

“There are days when I think this job could go on forever — it is the greatest job in the world,” Hinkley said today.

“But I didn’t start this job to be okay. We’re doing this as a team to be great — and we’re still chasing greatness.”

Port Adelaide chief executive Keith Thomas confidently declared Hinkley would have other contract extensions. Hinkley told the club faithful at last night’s season launch that he hopes Thomas is right.

“I can’t imagine myself coaching another football club,” Hinkley said.

And while Hinkley appreciates the vote of confidence in his football program, he rejects the security of a long-term contract will put him in a comfort zone that has undermined other AFL coaches.

“I know where I am going to be for the next four years — and that is comforting for security and the family,” Hinkley said. “But it won’t change anything I do.

“This is a tough job. You have tough days. But I will be working just as hard (as before the new contract was signed).

“And we still have lots of things to do at the football club. Footy is a tough game — and things can turn quickly.

“What looks promising one day can look not so promising the next.

“The real question (on how long a coach can work at a club) is not am I going to wear out? It is more about whether the players will need a new message at some stage? We all think that happens at some point along the journey — I’m not silly enough to say it won’t happen.”

Hinkley already ranks at No. 2 on the Power’s tally for AFL coaching with 48 games (29-19 win-loss). His reputation as an AFL coach — after being a constant runner-up for senior vacancies — has been made for not only saving Port Adelaide on the field with consecutive finals appearances, but also for delivering an attractive game style.

Hinkley signed his new deal — that was negotiated from just before Christmas — to continue Thomas’ deliberate plan of locking in key staff to long-term deals. This strategy is endorsed by Hinkley, a former Fitzroy and Geelong player.

“Stability is the key to success,” Hinkley said. “You need the right people — and then you have to back them in. Our club has been able to do that all the way through.”

Hinkley, 48, says the threat of his being lured away from Alberton was never real.

“They never had to worry about losing me,” Hinkley said today. “For me (this contract) was simple. The question was asked if there was interest to extend — and there was not one moment of hesitation from me.

“I love Port Adelaide. It is impossible to not connect to this club. My family feels at home and wants to make Adelaide home for a long time. And I am working with a group of people, a team, I really trust and we share the same vision.”

Hinkley arrived at Alberton at the end of the 2012 season after many candidates for the coaching job walked away from a club considered to be on death row. He boldly announced himself as the “right man standing” not the “last man standing”.

“It is nice to know that a couple of years on we have progressed in an upwards direction — and we hope there is a lot more to come,” Hinkley said.

Hired on a four-year deal that began in Season 2013, Hinkley has lived up to his promise of being the “right man standing” rather than the last man to accept the once-unfashionable Power coaching role.

Hinkley’s contract extension is the headline act for the Port Adelaide Football Club season launch in the Adelaide CBD today.

Hinkley accepted his contract extension today saying: “I can’t imagine myself coaching another football club. I’ve only been here two seasons, but it feels like I’ve been part of the Port Adelaide Football Club forever.

“As a family we’ve just bought a house in Adelaide which means we want this city to be a long-term part of our life.

“My wife loves it here in Adelaide and my three children are very happy and content.

“This is my first contract extension here at Port Adelaide and hopefully there’s many more to come.”

Hinkley’s immediate influence at Alberton is underlined by his record of taking the Power out of its on-field mess with AFL finals appearances in each of the past two seasons in which Port Adelaide was a semi-finalist in 2013 and preliminary finalist in 2014.

Hinkley has 29-19 win-loss in 48 home-and-away and finals games.