AFL Track Watch: Jack Ginnivan trains at Olympic Park, draftee Xavier Taylor joins Melbourne teammates
Draftee Xavier Taylor wasted no time making an impression at Melbourne training on Friday – but something over at Olympic Park was even more eye-catching. Get the latest pre-season intel.
A return to hostile grounds has not bothered Jack Ginnivan, who made a surprise appearance at Collingwood’s training facilities.
He was an unlikely face at the KGM Centre on Friday, running laps around a host of young Pies getting stuck into training ahead of their pre-season return.
It’s a training ground Ginnivan knows well, having played for the Pies before making the move to Hawthorn after the 2023 premiership.
He was working through a huge volume of high-intensity running, opting to train locally rather than head down to Dingley to train at the freshly-opened Kennedy Community Centre.
Ginnivan isn’t required at official Hawthorn pre-season sessions until Monday, December 1, but a number of senior players have returned with the first-to-fourth-year players this week.
After being sensationally sent packing after the Pies’ 2023 premiership and landing at childhood club Hawthorn, Ginnivan has always relished the chance to play his old side.
It looks like he’s taken that showmanship to the training track as well. Ginnivan was training separately to the Pies, who appeared to take no notice of the Hawks star.
He wasn’t the only ex-Pie to take to the track, with delisted fan favourite Oleg Markov joining the group as they worked through some interval running.
Darcy Cameron, Steele Sidebottom and Dan McStay continued to put in early work ahead of their return to pre-season on December 1.
Wil Parker, Illiro Smit, Lachie Sullivan and Tew Jiath joined in, with the younger Pies restarting their training on November 24.
FRESH FACE WASTES NO TIME AT DEES
One of the newest Demons has wasted no time joining his new teammates at training, hitting Gosch’s Paddock with a near full strength Melbourne group.
Defender Xavier Taylor landed at the Demons with the No.11 pick, having starred at under-18s level for Eastern Ranges.
Skipper Max Gawn went straight to Taylor, welcoming him into the group with an embrace before the session kicked off.
The young defender was working closely with fitness boss Selwin Griffith as he looks to build up fitness in his first AFL pre-season.
Griffith had his hands full today, with plenty of Demons ticking the legs over and building fitness in the early phase of the summer training block.
While Melbourne’s other top draftee Latrelle Pickett wasn’t sighted, cousin Kysaiah was out on the field and putting on a show, looking a class above teammates when the Dees turned to in-and-under contested work.
Changkuoth Jiath and Brody Mihocek squared off in one-on-one drills, with Jiath having the wood over his fellow recruit.
Stephen King was heavily involved this morning, closely watching the Dees’ contested work and ball use under pressure.
As noticeable as who was there is who wasn’t.
While it was an almost-full list on track on Friday, Steven May is yet to be sighted ahead of his appearance at Dromana Magistrates Court next week.
Originally published as AFL Track Watch: Jack Ginnivan trains at Olympic Park, draftee Xavier Taylor joins Melbourne teammates
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