Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley to miss North Melbourne clash with a virus Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley won't travel with the team to Tasmania after being grounded with a virus. PORT Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley remains in hospital under observation but the club is confident he will bounce back enough to make a contribution over the phone in the Power's match against North Melbourne in Hobart on Saturday. Power director of coaching Alan Richardson will lead the team after Hinkley was admitted to hospital on Wednesday night. Richardson last night said said he would be following Hinkley's game plan to the letter, and expected to be in touch with him throughout the match. I'm just the mouthpiece. It'll certainly be very much still Ken's message," Richardson told Fox Footy. If the game was here in Adelaide, he'd be coaching the team. It's just the fact that there's a flight. Port chief executive Keith Thomas expects Hinkley to make a full recovery but the club would not take any risks with his health. "He had really severe back pain ... we were thinking it was something like kidney stones," Thomas said. They kept him in overnight. As it turns out it was a virus, which has caused some inflammation internally. It's nothing to be concerned about. He's pain-free today. They kept him overnight and they're monitoring him but he's well. Thomas predicted Hinkley would be in close contact with his coaching panel up until the first siren. After consultation with our club doctor Damian Newberry it has been advised that Ken should not fly this weekend while he overcomes the effects of the virus. We expect Ken to make a full and speedy recovery. In fact, if our game was played in Adelaide this week he more than likely would have coached. Four decisions that triggered Port's resurgence Thomas said Richardson was a logical replacement. "We've often said Ken and Alan are very similar in the way they think about the game and in terms of their philosophies," Thomas said. The club has total confidence that Alan can fill in for Ken this week and lead the team well. He has vast coaching experience in his own right and has worked closely with Ken here at Port Adelaide on game style and structures since day one of preseason. Most importantly, Alan has the complete respect and confidence of the playing group and coaching staff and we are confident that his transition as senior coach for this week will be seamless. Port heads into the contest with an unbeaten 5-0 record. The Kangaroos are 1-4. Kane Mitchell returns to Port's seniors list