Jack Ginnivan, Collingwood Magpies, Hawthorn Hawks, deal done, Moonee Valley, final straw, warning, Lachie Schultz،
Collingwood star Jack Ginnivan has bid farewell to the Magpies in his own style, describing his time at the club as a “f***ing ride”.
Ginnivan, 20, was officially traded to Hawthorn on Wednesday, just days after the Pies landed Lachie Schultz from Freo and details of his “strained” relationship with the club were revealed.
The Hawks, who Ginnivan supported as a child, were excited to secure the small forward and Pick 39 in exchange for Pick 33, as well as a few future pick trades.
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“We couldn’t be happier that Jack wants to come to Hawthorn – a club he has loved since he was a child,” Hawks list boss Mark McKenzie said.
“Having just won a premiership at 20, we believe he has only scratched the surface of his potential, and we can’t wait to see how much he can elevate his game at Hawthorn in coming years.”
Ginnivan calls for shock trade with the Hawks! | 00:24
But not everyone agreed that a move to the lowly Hawks was the right move for Ginnivan at just 20 years old.
Former GWS skipper Phil Davis said he could “sympathize” with the youngster given he believed Ginnivan would have been affected by “hurtful” rumors about his place in the team.
“You feel like having this breakout year (Ginnivan in 2022), they’re going to look for someone similar to Bobby Hill,” Davis explained on AFL Commercial Radio.
“He was out of the team for a while there. Then they get Lachie Schultz – he’s probably the biggest name in this trade period. I think (Jack) would be like, “oh, another person is coming in.”
But Davis said he would have liked to see Ginnivan stay and fight for his place – although SEN’s Sam Edmund believes the relationship between the youngster and the club “wasn’t exactly rosy” at the time the request for exchange has been received.
“I have the impression that when you are young, there is this urgency to always guarantee matches, to guarantee contracts… I find it a bit strange simply because (Collingwood) had no injuries in this first half of the year. To me, it’s like you’re part of the premiership team,” Davis said.
Adelaide’s McAdam seals deal with Dees | 00:23
“It’s the football that really, really matters – it’s the football we all want to play in.
“Feeling like I was right in the window…I would have thought he was potentially staying.”
“All it takes is a Bobby Hill, (Jamie) Elliott or (Beau) McCreery to roll an ankle and miss four weeks and you’re definitely there. You should come back, you’re going to get better and maybe- just be claiming that spot and kick McCreery out and take Bobby’s spot again.
“Now he’s going to the other end of the scale – I’ve been there. It’s a very different experience. It is a very difficult experience.
Edmund said Ginnivan’s visit before the grand final at Moonee Valley – which drew the ire of coach Craig McRae – was the “straw that broke the camel’s back”.
“We heard the manager say publicly twice that this might not be the decision he would like his players to make – privately we were told he was even stronger with Jack Ginnivan. And then he double-crosses Jack and becomes the ambassador of Moonee Valley as well,” Edmund laughed.
“Things got a little tense at the end.
“How upset is Collingwood that he’s leaving?” Maybe not so unhappy.
King returns to Cats as assistant coach | 00:32
Ginnivan, who deleted his Instagram page just hours after posting that he was “locked up” while training at the Magpies’ base, took to the social media platform to bid farewell to the Pies on Wednesday.
“What a fucking ride, thanks to everyone who made it elite. OTTN,” he posted.
Pies Footy boss Graham Wright has denied claims the club pushed Ginnivan ‘out of the door’ and confirmed the deal was moved forward quickly – admitting it only took 24 hours for the exchange to be finalized.
Wright said he “hadn’t heard anything” about Ginnivan’s desire to leave when he arrived at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday – but by 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Ginnivan was a hawk after informing the club and McRae of his decision to pursue a future with Hawthorn.
And Wright said the club found out Ginnivan had met Hawthorn through the Hawks list boss on Tuesday night.
“It was Jack’s decision to look elsewhere,” he said, denying the club ever bought the youngster.
“We don’t take it personally.”
