Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell says Jack Ginnivan showing great character under scrutiny

Whether it’s free kicks or firing up former teammates Jack Ginnivan is at the centre of plenty of footy conversations and his coach is happy with how he’s handling it.

MELBOURNE , AUSTRALIA. April 7 , 2024. AFL Gather Round. Round 4. Collingwood vs Hawthorn at the Adelaide Oval. Jack Ginnivan of the Hawks celebrates a 1st quarter goal . Pic: Michael Klein

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell has praised controversial forward Jack Ginnivan’s capacity to endure the “enormous amount of scrutiny” he’s receiving as he ponders making Blake Hardwick a more permanent goalkicking support.

Ginnivan was the subject of intense debate in the lead up to taking on his old side Collingwood as issues around the merits of him receiving free kicks became a hot topic again.

The 21-year-old also declared via a podcast he thought the Magpies didn’t want him and that was a key reason he left for the Hawks following last year’s Grand Final win.

But Mitchell was pleased that Ginnivan was able to cope with the intense focus which he said was a lot for such a young player and showed a maturity which should only help his football. I

“The outside narrative is fascinating for the world, but he’s a really important player for us and I thought he had a good game,” Mitchell said.

“He’s 21 years old, he’s had an enormous amount of scrutiny. For him to go back and kick our first goal and be a strong performer, I thought his maturity today was going to be challenged.

Jack Ginnivan copped it from former teammates . (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“People said to me; ‘How do you think he’s going to handle it?’ A 21-year-old under that much scrutiny, how do you know? I thought he played another really good game for us.

“He’s loving life in the brown and gold and he is as passionate as any of our players about making sure we’re going to have success.

“I think how he handles the external (scrutiny), the proof’s in the pudding.

“He’s playing good footy so ‘Keep doing what you’re doing, Jack’.”

Ginnivan was part of the Hawthorn rally which brought them to within a whisker of a might upset at Adelaide Oval on Sunday with a Hardwick shift forward key to the revival.

With his side trailing by 38 points, Hardwick was swung from defence into attack at halftime and his four second-half goals nearly dragged the Hawks over the line for their first win of the season leaving Mitchell with something significant to ponder going forward.

“He is a frustratingly good player, so I’m really nervous to move him out of the back half at any time because he is so important for us back there,” Mitchell said of his Hardwick conundrum.

“But we knew the contest in front of the game was an area where we had struggled.

“We made a few changes at halftime and I think everyone who has watched him train and play at different times forward has thought he was going to be able to kick a score at some point.

Blake Hardwick of the Hawks (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“We’ve used him at different times there, but this was the first time he really got the opportunities and took them.

“I was pleased for him, but moving him out of the back line you’re always a bit nervous.

“I daresay the back line coach will be saying ‘No, he’s really important here’ and I’m pretty sure the forward line coach will be saying ‘You can’t be serious – he has to play forward’.

“I really don’t know.”