David King believes the currently vacant Port Adelaide job for 2024 is the most attractive role in football.
With Ken Hinkley out of contract at the end of the season and the Power refusing to renegotiate terms until August, conjecture has surrounded who will coach the club next season.
King believes the role is so tempting due to the profile of the club’s budding midfield group as he compared the trio of Connor Rozee, Zak Butters and Jason Horne-Francis to that of Brisbane’s on-ball unit when Leigh Matthews took over in 1999.
“I think the Port Adelaide coaching job is the best coaching job in football in 2024,” King told SEN Breakfast.
“You've got (Connor) Rozee at 23, (Zak) Butters at 22 and (Jason) Horne-Francis is 20 in a couple of weeks.
“It's the same as when Leigh Matthews took over the Brisbane Lions when they had (Michael) Voss, (Simon) Black and (Nigel) Lappin, who were exactly the same ages (as the Power trio at the time).
“It gives you a chance to build the edges because these guys are going to carry the responsibility and the fortunes of your football club.
“The list build gets easier now that you've stacked your talent in the middle and then I think you look at the list composition, they've done an amazing job.
“Jason Cripps has done a terrific job to give Ken an opportunity, not just for this year, but for the previous four or five years and the years coming forward.
“There are opportunities at the end of the year to get a Ben McKay and Esava Ratugolea or maybe Mason Redman, who knows?”
With Damien Hardwick potentially available after leaving his post at Richmond, King believes the Power should wait until the end of the season just in case a better option emerges if the club falls short of expectations in September.
“The question for me is, why wouldn't you wait and see what's absolutely available at the end of the year?” King said.
“We know that Damien Hardwick is available, whether you're comparing him to Ken or not, it doesn't matter.
“Those that appear unavailable. we don't know who can be pulled from the club they're at or if there's a shift in mindset there.
“I don't know whether Chris Scott is absolutely coaching Geelong next year or not, I don’t know.
“But if there's a five per cent chance that I could get him, if I'm Port Adelaide to even to sit in front of him, have the discussion and have him absolutely tell me, ‘No’, I'm taking that chance.
“I don't think there's a rush to sign Ken.”
Taking a closer look at their list, King believes the Power are currently in contention and set up to continue competing near the top as outlined key players that are in their prime or soon nearing it.
“In the 100+ (games) bracket, around 26 years of age, they’ve got (Sam) Powell-Pepper, (Jeremy) Finlayson, Aliir Aliir, (Dan) Houston and (Ollie) Wines. That's the bones of good leadership,” King said.
“The 50 to 100 game bracket is where the wildcards are, which is (Todd) Marshall - who's a very good AFL player – Rozee, Butters, (Xavier) Duursma, (Kane) Farrell and (Miles) Bergman.
“Then the guys that haven't even hit 50 games yet like Lachie Jones, we haven't even seen Josh Sinn yet, Jed McEntee I really like and obviously Horne-Francis.”
The second-placed Power currently holds a 9-2 record through 11 rounds and will go in search of their 10th win when they host Hawthorn at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday.