By Marnie Vinall and AAP
Jack Ginnivan has revealed post-grand final comments from coach Craig McRae combined with his exit interview showed him it was time to leave Collingwood, ahead of the new Hawk’s first clash against his old side on Sunday.
Ginnivan’s Hawks will face the Magpies at Adelaide Oval as part of Gather Round, but the young forward said the game should have been played as a blockbuster in Melbourne.
Jack Ginnivan celebrates Collingwood’s 2023 premiership.Credit: AFL Photos
“They probably should’ve put it at the (MC)G in front of 90,000 (people) but they chose Gather Round in Adelaide for some reason,” Ginnivan told the Tommy Talks podcast.
Ginnivan, a member of Collingwood’s premiership team, is in the first season of a four-year deal with Hawthorn, the club he supported as a kid.
After a turbulent 12 months, that included a two-game ban for admitting to illicit drug use, Ginnivan’s time at Collingwood ended in controversy when he landed himself in trouble for attending a horse racing event on grand final eve.
“Read the room, Jack,” McRae said in his post-grand final press conference when asked about Ginnivan’s night at Moonee Valley.
Ginnivan, who owns multiple racehorses but didn’t have any running on the night in question, was frustrated by how the story blew up.
“Me and my mate went there at 6.30(pm) and got home at 9.30(pm), like it wasn’t really that big of a deal,” the 21-year-old said.
“I don’t think it’s a mistake from my behalf, but probably just how people perceived it.
Jack Ginnivan arrives at Mad Monday dressed as a jockey.Credit: Nine News
“It didn’t look great, which would be the only thing I would change.
“Nothing really came of it until ‘Fly’s’ press conference and my exit meeting, and that was sort of [when] I knew I probably should leave.
“That was a bit of an eye opening, that exit meeting.
“The most disappointing thing was probably just no coach or player reaching out to say, ‘I want you to stay and we really value you’ and all those things.”
Despite McRae’s public annoyance, Ginnivan went to Collingwood’s Mad Monday celebrations dressed as a jockey.
“They’re actually (jockey) Craig Williams’ silks,” Ginnivan said.
Ginnivan is tackled by Zach Guthrie during the loss to the Cats.Credit: AFL Photos
“I got them on the Friday night at the Valley because I was with a few people from the Valley that got us into the box and just looked after us.
“I didn’t even know that it would blow up, so I thought I might just go as a jockey because I like horses.
“And then it blew up and then it’s the funniest thing of all time.”
Ginnivan was at the centre of a different debate after Monday’s loss to Geelong at the MCG, albeit one that has followed him from his time at Collingwood.
Tony Shaw thought some of the high contact Jack Ginnivan copped was worthy of a free kick.Credit: Fox Footy
Pies great Tony Shaw described a number of tackles on Ginnivan as worthy of being paid free kicks for high contact and called on Hawthorn to push for answers on the way Ginnivan is officiated.
Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell said Hawthorn would contact the AFL if they found any unfair treatment when they reviewed vision of the game.
“I reckon there’s gotta be something looked at,” Shaw said on 3AW during the call of the game. “He does duck sometimes and I don’t mind if they don’t pay that. But there’s been a couple, maybe two or three, genuine free kicks [that were unpaid].
“There’s been a couple where he’s been standing up [when he was tackled high] … you’ve got to go round his hips!”
Mitchell said he hadn’t looked at vision of the game yet to determine if there was any unfair treatment.
“I know there’s been a lot of talk about it – and they [the club] briefed me on it – but I mean, coaching, you don’t go back and look at it,” Mitchell said after the match.
“If he is, then the AFL has a process to get in touch with them [the umpires].
“And if we were to rewatch them and have a look and think there’s getting unfair treatment, then I’ll get in touch with the AFL this week and get them to have a look at it.”
The weather played havoc on the match as the fourth quarter was delayed for more than 40 minutes with wild storms and lightning in the area.
Geelong’s Ollie Henry, who finished the day with an equal game-high four goals alongside 350th gamer Tom Hawkins, said it was a bizarre game, but had been handled well.
“It’s something that you never, never think’s gonna happen,” he told this masthead. “So you don’t know how to prepare for it.”
He said the players went into something similar to their pre-game routines, where some players did a quiz together, some broke into a song and others got treatment done.
“It’s different personalities that do different things that hold them in good stead for when they go out on the track next,” Henry said.
“Everyone has a different routine. And when you have to stop and warm back up again, there are things that might help you perform better. I was dancing to a song … We got the music going – I couldn’t tell you the name of the song – [and] we had some soccer chants going on. ”
Hawkins told Fox Footy that he had a coffee and a chat with teammate Jeremy Cameron during the break.
Henry admitted the rain, which fell heavily towards the end of the match, suited the Cats’ playing style. The Hawks, who had patches of momentum, including kicking five goals to one in the second quarter, started to drop marks and fumble the ball more when the rain came.
“I like the way it completely changes the dynamics of the game. Everything has to adapt to the rain because there’s so many more mistakes,” said Henry.
“And yeah, both teams ... [are] trying to get the ball forward. It’s a completely different game and I know some people love it. I think our boys love it.”
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