Collingwood star Jack Ginnivan’s free-kick antics torched by AFL legend

A polarising AFL star has once again found himself the target of a former player, with one legend calling out the youngster’s tactics.

Jack Ginnivan of the Magpies. Photo by Mike Owen/Getty Images

Jack Ginnivan might be the most talked about player in the league in 2022 and now another former AFL player has taken aim.

Former Melbourne Demons legend Garry Lyon joined the longline of former players and media members to lambaste the Pies youngster.

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The 19-year-old has developed a reputation for drawing headhigh contact, but Lyon believes the lively forward has taken things beyond the line in his search for the umpires whistle.

“My opinion is he’s gone too far, Jack Ginnivan,” Lyon said on SEN Breakfast.

“He’s gone too far in his search for a free kick in those circumstances.

“Watching absolutely neutrally and I’m looking at it going, ‘You’re going to pay for that at some stage’ and he did.

“He ducked into one, got ripped around the neck, it should’ve been holding the ball if he wasn’t going to pay it around the neck.

“It was one or the other, and he didn’t pay it in the end, and then he missed out on one he should’ve got.

“This is what happens.”

When you consistently drop at the knees you will miss out on legitimate frees because the umpires begin to realise you are taking the mickey out of them https://t.co/TcBZCNuOGX

— Jon Ralph (@RalphyHeraldSun) June 5, 2022

Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley came to the defence of the youngster, saying players are using the rules and their own smarts to get the upper hand.

“I agree that he stays low, and he drives his legs through a player,” Buckley said.

“He goes lower. He starts low and goes lower,” Lyon said.

“I can’t disagree with that, and I can’t disagree with the fact that his exit strategy for some of his ground ball inside forward 50 is to be caught high and to get a set shot at goal,” Buckley said.

“That tests the rules. I don’t have an issue with that at all. We’ve got players all over the ground, the ruckmen are doing it.

“Sean Darcy’s ruck work early in the game, there was a couple of free kicks that he went at Oscar McInerney, and he put his left arm out and got him on the chops a couple of times. It should’ve been a free kick for a fend, but he was playing the game on the edge.

“I love it when I see players play the game on the edge and sometimes when it’s a physical challenge, we think that as blokes we beat our chests about it, but there’s the rules that you can play to.

“And with guile and smarts, that’s got to be part of the game.”

Jack Ginnivan of the Magpies. Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Lyon isn’t the first to have a crack at Ginnivan with former St Kilda defender Leigh Montagna questioning if this is what the youngster wants his reputation to be.

“Is this the reputation that he wants to have going forward as an AFL player?” Montagna told Fox Footy’s First Crack.

“Does he want this to be his brand? Does he want to be identified as a player that ducks and dives for free kicks?

“As soon as he gets the ball, he’s trying to get a free kick. He’s either falling forward, lifting the arm, playing for it.

“I don’t think that it’s in the spirit of the game.

“He’s not getting rewarded for free kicks that he should get because of his reputation already in his career.”

Originally published as Collingwood star Jack Ginnivan’s free-kick antics torched by AFL legend