Hawthorn and Collingwood’s contrasting seasons put Jack Ginnivan trade in spotlight

Jack Ginnivan may have ended Collingwood’s premiership defence on Saturday, but the true pain of the 2023 trade is yet to be felt for the Pies’ footy department.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JULY 20: Darcy Cameron of the Magpies and Jack Ginnivan of the Hawks have a disagreement during the round 19 AFL match between Hawthorn Hawks and Collingwood Magpies at Melbourne Cricket Ground on July 20, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Graham Denholm/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Jack Ginnivan delivered a Steph Curry-style “put to sleep” sledge to the Collingwood cheer squad then delivered the mic drop quote post match.

“They weren’t saying too much to me then so maybe they will regret the decision,” said Ginnivan as he dropped F-bombs in post-match interviews amid a chaotic afternoon.

The Collingwood fans who booed the new Hawk after two years of decrying the same jeers from opposition fans when in Pies colours were on the verge of hypocrisy on Saturday afternoon.

But it will be the Pies football department who might most end up regretting the nature of their trade.

Not only did they trade a 21-year-old who is getting better by the month, the structure of that trade means Hawthorn might end up getting him for pretty much free.

Ginnivan was the best player on the ground in a game against his former side. (Photo by Graham Denholm/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Collingwood fans are well aware they gave up pick 34 and a future first-rounder to Fremantle for Lachie Schultz that currently sits at No. 6 in the 2024 draft order.

But the Ginnivan trade was very specifically structured to take into account the FlagPies having another barn-burner of a season and the rebuilding Hawks likely finishing mid-table or worse.

That deal saw the Pies trading up from 39 to the Hawks’ 33 in last year’s draft.

Then they swapped future second-rounders with the Hawks and swapped their third-rounder for the Hawks fourth-rounder.

In essence they improved their 2023 draft hand and hoped to finish top again while the Hawks finished bottom four, improving their future second-rounder by up to 14 spots and their back-end 2024 pick by 30 or more spots.

Instead the opposite has happened.

Right now Collingwood is two ladder spots behind Hawthorn and the gap could grow given the Hawks are flying and the Pies face Richmond but then Carlton, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

So right now the Pies are giving up pick 26 to the Hawks and getting 28 back, worsening their draft hand while not even having a first-round pick.

And they get back only pick 46 from the Hawks, with Hawthorn having already on-traded a Pies pick which is at pick 62.

Sound confusing?

If the Pies end up six ladder positions behind the Hawks, they will in effect have given up Ginnivan for a bag of peanuts.

Their only win will be lifting their fourth-round 2024 pick about 12 spots into the late third round.

Ginnivan has wasted no time reminding those Pies what they have missed and what a fun environment there is at Waverley Park.

“Jesus, there was a lot of carry on. But that’s why I love this club, they let me be myself and I am having that much fun. That’s what footy should be. I want to be like I was as a young kid having fun. I don’t want it to be so serious and this group has made that happen.”

He made clear the club’s turnaround was clear – a heart-to-heart between players and coaches after the 0-5 start to the season.

“The change since the first five rounds where I was like, holy shit this is a bit crazy, 0-5 but since then we had a really honest chat with each other and the coaches got together, we got together.”

Ginnivan’s career-best 31 disposals, 11 score involvements and two goals came in just his 57th game, with coach Sam Mitchell adamant he is only scratching the surface.

The forward kicked two goals in Hawthorn’s big win. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

“Obviously ‘Ginni” is one of those players that the crowd love, the media love, and in the preparation we didn’t make much of it. We know he’s been an important player for us so to get him back we knew it would bring a lot of energy and the sense of theatre in the game was fantastic. I was rapt for him and I thought the forward line worked really well. All of those guys played their roles well.

“We play a different game style to Collingwood and he probably fits into a different position but he’s 21 years old. If you think about how long it feels he’s been around, how many times he’s been on a back page, he seems like he’s much older but he’s 21 years old. He’s still maturing into his footy, learning how to handle different situations, he’s only played 15 of 17 games with the guys he’s playing with but it all comes off the back of a fierce workrate and a fierce desire to prove that he can be a fantastic and well-rounded player and not a flash in the pan. He is doing a lot right.”

Originally published as Hawthorn and Collingwood’s contrasting seasons put Jack Ginnivan trade in spotlight