Craig McRae plays down Jack Ginnivan VFL treatment

Magpies coach Craig McRae has weighed in on the targeting of Jack Ginnivan in VFL games as fans threaten to kick up a fuss.

Brayden Maynard will miss at least one week as he battles knee and shoulder concerns. Picture: Chris Hyde / Getty Images

Magpies coach Craig McRae says the rough treatment of Jack Ginnivan in the VFL is “natural” and something the young forward has to learn to deal with.

Ginnivan has played the last two matches for the Magpies reserves after being squeezed out of the senior side but has struggled for impact against Sydney and Frankston, with only one goal so far in his stint at the level.

He is likely to need at least another week in the VFL to win his spot back despite injuries to Brody Mihocek and Brayden Maynard, who has been ruled out of Friday night’s clash against the Bulldogs after failing a fitness test at training on Wednesday.

The Herald Sun reported on Tuesday that dozens of Collingwood fans had lodged complaints via an AFL integrity portal over the rough handling of Ginnivan by VFL players and supposed umpire mistreatment, but McRae said the club itself had no issues with the league.

A faction of Collingwood supporters has claimed the treatment of Jack Ginnivan by opposition and umpires in the VFL has been unfair. Picture: Paul Kane / Getty Images

“We love our fans, we love how passionate they are … but we want our players to embrace what comes,” he said.

“Ginni’s a young man who has gone back to VFL, he’s had a talented year last year and now it’s just a natural course of every player who has had a good year, you go back to VFL and there’s a target on you – he’s working his way through that.

“I think I would do the same (as Ginnivan’s opponents) … when a good player is playing VFL, you want to get under their skin.”

McRae said the difficult situation Ginnivan had found himself in was a natural part of a footballer’s evolution, particularly after bursting onto the scene in the manner he did with 40 goals in 2022.

A knock to his knee in the win over the Suns has forced Brayden Maynard out of Friday night’s clash against the Bulldogs. Picture: Chris Hyde / Getty Images

“Jamie Elliott was the same in his second year, back when I was a little skinny man running around it happened to me,” he said.

“It’s just the reality of when you perform well at AFL, you’ve got a target on you, and teams look for little ways to get under your skin or find weaknesses … it’s just natural.”

The Magpies will regain Jordan De Goey after his three-week ban for his high hit on young Eagle Elijah Hewett, but Maynard will miss at least a week as he battles a fresh knee complaint along with his sore shoulder.

“Brayden won’t play this week, it’s just a bit of a combination of a couple of weeks of too much soreness,” McRae said.

“Funnily enough, he’s had the shoulder which he’s probably had for a couple of years, but it’s a bit of a knock on his knee that’s going to hold him out this week.

“He’s a battering ram and we’ve got to hold him back from himself sometimes … we’re confident he’ll be available next week, so we’ll see how he progresses.”