Under-fire Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has been lauded as a "massive" part of Essendon defender Brandon Zerk-Thatcher's decision to commit to the club.
Zerk-Thatcher rejected an extension from the Bombers to request a trade to Port Adelaide earlier this month.
9News Adelaide spotted the 25-year-old coming off a plane behind Hinkley at the Adelaide Airport on Tuesday, and he opened up on conversations with his likely future coach.
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"I wasn't expecting him to be on the flight. We both sat in business which was quite nice and had a bit of a chat," he said.
"I met Kenny a while ago and when I first spoke to him I thought really highly of him, he speaks well and is a really good person, so he's a massive (part of the decision)."
Zerk-Thatcher said Port Adelaide is "pretty confident" in getting Essendon to agree to a suitable trade that will send him to his home state during the AFL trade period in October.
"It's exciting. I've got the opportunity to request a trade home and hopefully it all gets done," he said.
"Mum's over the moon. It'll be very good for me and just exciting for the family to get back to seeing them a bit more."
Zerk-Thatcher has played 51 games for the Bombers after making his debut in 2019, including a career-high 22 appearances in defence in 2023.
The versatile defender's vote of confidence for Hinkley follows fresh criticism about the club's decision to hand the veteran coach a two-year extension prior to a disappointing finals campaign.
Club great Kane Cornes has urged Port Adelaide to persist with Hinkley, saying it would be "too short-sighted to just focus on the senior coach".
Zerk-Thatcher is one of a number of players to request a trade to Port this year, with the club also hoping to add Geelong's Esava Ratugolea and Bulldogs big man Jordon Sweet.
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