Jack Ginnivan’s plane plans, Cornes says Crows robbed, NRL to MCG: What you missed on TV
Jack Ginnivan hinted a certain celebration may come out against the Power. Plus everything you missed on TV’s footy shows.
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Hawks forward Jack Ginnivan was embroiled in controversy last time his side played Port Adelaide, but this time around it’s business as usual, apparently.
Plus a Crows great has called the anti-Adelaide umpiring a conspiracy, claiming Victorian umpires were at fault for the controversial non-call on the Gold Coast.
There was plenty of Gather Round content on the airwaves on Tuesday night, here is the best of what was said.
PLANE CELEBRATION? WAIT AND SEE
Jack Ginnivan doesn’t have his arms outstretched just yet, but his cheeky grin on Channel 9 suggests the ball would barely have to pass the goal line before the plane celebration comes out.
The Hawthorn small forward was the victim of Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley’s post game winged celebration, which of course referred to Ginnivan’s comments on Swan Brodie Grundy’s social media post suggesting they’d face off in a preliminary final.
But the Hawks were felled by the Power, and Hinkley couldn’t contain himself on the sideline, with the celebration costing him a whopping $20,000 fine.
Ginnivan tried to downplay the rematch against Port Adelaide when he appeared on Channel 9’s Gather Round in the Barossa special on Tuesday night.
“You’ll have to wait to see if I kick one, but I’m sure I’m going to have it in the back pocket,” he said about the plane celebration.
“We’ve started the season so well, it’s pretty obvious the AFL put it last and I’m sure they’re going to use the game (semi final) to promote the game (round 5) as much as possible.
“But for us it’s another game, we’re just excited to play whoever comes in our way and hopefully keep the season rolling.”
Host Eddie Maguire was quick to retort by sarcastically saying: “Yeah I can imagine, Sam Mitchell is that kind of coach, he just wouldn’t think of anything like that to try to crank them up.”
Ginnivan also hinted at a selection for Sunday’s clash against Port Adelaide, saying Henry Hustwaite could come into the senior side.
“It’s going to be a big loss, but hopefully ‘Worps’ and Hustwaite maybe this week.”
Hustwaite has collected 30 and 38 touches to start the VFL season in hot form.
VIC-BIAS UMPIRING CONSPIRACY – SINCE 1991
Graham Cornes has given the umpires a whack on Fox Footy’s AFL 360, suggesting there is a conspiracy against the Crows.
Following the unpaid free kick-mark fiasco that enveloped Adelaide’s footy world the past week, Cornes said Adelaide has endured “a bad run with umpires since 1991.”
Adelaide joined the AFL in 1991, and Cornes was the inaugural coach.
“I’m sure they’re Victorian umpires,” he said on AFL 360.
“It was definitely a free kick. He dropped the mark but he was manhandled.”
When Garry Lyon asked Cornes whether there was a conspiracy against Adelaide, Cornes replied: “Yes I am”.
Seems as though Cornes thinks the Crows were robbed. Right in front of me!
WHEN THE AFL IS AWAY, THE NRL WANTS TO PLAY … AT THE MCG?
Melbourne Storm is making an audacious bid to play an NRL game at the MCG while the AFL plays at Gather Round in the coming years.
Storm hosts its home games at AAMI Park but is pushing to shift one home-and-away game, likely against New Zealand Warriors, to the 100,000 capacity stadium.
Club CEO Justin Rodski said the Storm wanted “to make the most” of the rival code being in South Australia for a weekend.
“It’s clearly ambitious, it’s clearly a big stadium to fill, but with no AFL in town, the brand of Melbourne Storm, the excitement that we bring to the field every week, I can’t see why we can’t pack the MCG and fill it one day very soon,” he said on Channel 9.
“As a Melburnian, who doesn’t love going to the MCG, and why not come and see a game of rugby league and the Melbourne Storm on fire on the hallowed turf.”
FORMER NO.1 PICK BACKS REID’S NON-DECISION
Is a veteran recruiter with an exemplary record set to help spearhead Tasmania’s list build?
Former Sydney Swans list manager Kinnear Beatson is said to be “on Tasmania’s radar”, while Port Adelaide list manager Jason Cripps has also been linked to a role at the new club.
Talking of list management, the panel questioned whether the current environment at West Coast was conducive to retaining Harley Reid, who reportedly has multiple offers on the table to stay at the Eagles long-term.
“Why would he sign as a player?” asked former Hawthorn champion Luke Hodge on Agenda Setters.
“Look at how the club has handled stuff over the last three weeks.”
Interesting comments, indeed, given Hodge revealed a fortnight ago that Reid had reached out to him amid his early-season struggles on-field.
Hawthorn is having a crack at recruiting Reid as well as West Coast co-captain Oscar Allen, but Kane Cornes believes rival clubs should raid the Hawks’ young list.
Josh Weddle and Nick Watson were two players mentioned who are out of contract in 2026.
In ‘The Spill’, the panel took a swipe at Collingwood for not wanting to “grow the game” and support Opening Round in 2026, but Cornes said Adelaide was right to sook it up over the controversial finish to its clash with the Gold Coast Suns.
DANGER GAME IN DANGER STATE
Former Crows star Patrick Dangerfield admits he still feels like the villain when he returns to Adelaide.
The now-Geelong skipper will face his former side to open Gather Round on Thursday night.
Dangerfield said he did not see himself moving back home to Moggs Creek when he was initially drafted.
“It’s a funny one,” he said when asked by Garry Lyon on AFL 360.
“I fell in love with the place, no doubt.
“As your life progresses, things sort of change, and for me it was stuff outside of footy as much as anything.
“There’s certainly still parts of me that still romanticise the place that is Adelaide and the club, the people are so special, and it’s still my favourite place to go play footy.
“I feel like game day, or during the match, yes (I’m still the villain).”
THE FUTURE OF OSCAR ALLEN
There’s been plenty of discussion on where Oscar Allen will play his footy in 2025, with a number of clubs linked to the West Coast skipper.
Hawthorn and Brisbane are seen as the frontrunners if Allen chooses to leave the Eagles, while Collingwood and Melbourne have also been linked.
But footy reporter Tom Morris said on Channel 9 Allen “wants to play for the Brisbane Lions next year”.
His reasoning?
A six-year contract at a club in the premiership window, where the medical department has shown success at turning recruits’ injury woes around.
Lincoln McCarthy (Geelong), Callum Ah Chee (Gold Coast) and Joe Daniher (Essendon) are all players that landed at the Lions after chronic injury issues at their drafted club.
All three played important roles in Brisbane’s senior side in recent seasons, with Ah Chee and Daniher both playing in the Lions’ flag last season.
Originally published as Jack Ginnivan’s plane plans, Cornes says Crows robbed, NRL to MCG: What you missed on TV
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