AFL 2023: Collingwood fans are considering protesting the treatment of Jack Ginnivan
A Collingwood supporter group has had enough at what they see as poor treatment for Jack Ginnivan in the VFL and have called on fans to consider publicly showing their displeasure.
Collingwood fans are considering a left-field MCG protest as early as this weekend about the treatment of Jack Ginnivan after a VFL scuffle in Sunday’s game against Frankston.
Pies members have grown increasingly frustrated with Ginnivan’s treatment by VFL rivals and his lack of free kicks in games across AFL and AFL competitions.
The issues came to a head in a VFL game against Frankston on Sunday.
Ginnivan was grabbed around the neck and taken to ground as he picked up the ball after a free kick was awarded to teammate Reef McInnes.
After being tackled Ginnivan seemed to drop his forearm into the head of Frankston player Colby Nayna.
A trio of Frankston players joined a scuffle with Ginnivan given his strong response to the tackle.
Collingwood fan Angie McCarthy runs a popular Pies Facebook group that helped organise the Collingwood fans who travelled to Sydney for last year’s preliminary final.
She told the Herald Sun on Tuesday hundreds of Pies fans were threatening to protest outside the MCG as early as this weekend at Ginnivan’s continued mistreatment by umpires and VFL players.
Collingwood declined to comment on Tuesday.
McCarthy said dozens of Collingwood fans had directly contacted the AFL to complain about Ginnivan’s treatment.
It is understood their complaints were lodged via an AFL integrity portal that saw an integrity officer call McCarthy to clarify the nature of their complaints and the potential protest.
The league on Tuesday made clear it had only contacted McCarthy to informally inquire about the protest, and will leave any decisions over officiating to its umpiring team.
McCarthy said on Tuesday Pies fans were considering a public protest as early as this weekend after the Pies’ Friday night clash against the Dogs.
Ginnivan was at the centre of an AFL crackdown on players milking free kicks last year, with the league tweaking the interpretation of its rules to make it harder for players dropping at the knees to be rewarded.
“Collingwood fans are at the point where they think his treatment is so unfair that it is affecting his game,” she said.
“There are hundreds of Collingwood supporters who want to protest at the MCG. People need to see how desperate fans are getting. We see him as family and we have seen the decline in his game. I have told everyone not to protest yet but if there isn’t a change we will come out in force as the Collingwood army.
“We have gone from seeing him win the Anzac Medal to being in the VFL and we have seen the difference in how he approaches the game.”
Ginnivan’s form has been modest across four VFL games kicking four goals, and he has won only one free kick in four VFL games and two in eight AFL games.
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