Was Jack Ginnivan pushed to leave Collingwood? The Magpies boss breaks his silence following the unexpected deal of a young gun to Hawthorn
- Collingwood have addressed rumours Jack Ginnivan was forced out
- The young gun was traded to Hawthorn on Wednesday
- The club says it was Ginnivan’s decision to move on
Collingwood coach Graham Wright is sure that Jack Ginnivan was not forced out by the AFL champions.
Ginnivan was transferred to Hawthorn on Wednesday, just two days after Fremantle’s Lachie Schultz joined the Magpies.
The unexpected news of Schultz’s interest in moving to Collingwood last week caused immediate conjecture about Ginnivan’s future.
But Wright insisted he was ‘a little bit surprised’ when he found out from Hawthorn list manager Mark McKenzie on Tuesday that the Hawks had met with the 20-year-old livewire.
Wright said the Magpies had ‘not one’ conversation about Ginnivan with any other club during the trade period.
‘He was a contracted player, he’s a premiership player, he’s 20 years old, and we were fairly clear that was how we saw it,’ Wright explained.
‘Jack made the decision to look elsewhere. Finally, we appreciate it, accept it, and move on.’
Ginnivan’s final year at Collingwood was difficult, beginning with a summer ban for illicit drug use.
He sparked additional controversy by attending the Moonee Valley races the night before the grand final, prompting Pies coach Craig McRae to say Ginnivan should have’read the room’.
Wright downplayed proposals. Ginnivan’s race attendance and McRae’s public reaction both contributed to the player’s departure.
‘I believe that has been exaggerated. ‘Players can do whatever they want,’ Wright explained.
‘Obviously, the day before the big game is a little different. However, it was not the end of the world.’
Ginnivan celebrated the completion of his business transaction on social media.
‘What a f***ing ride, thank you everyone that helped make it elite,’ he wrote, beside a photo of himself holding the Premiership Cup.
Ginnivan has been a polarizing character for fans during his 42-game career, but Wright hopes Magpies fans show him respect when he plays against his former team in the future.
Collingwood also lost seasoned midfielder Taylor Adams in a shock departure to Sydney last week, in addition to Ginnivan.
The Magpies, on the other hand, are optimistic about their chances of improving next year as they seek back-to-back championships for the first time in nearly 90 years.
‘We feel like that improvement will come from our young lads as much as anything, as well as Dan McStay and John Noble, who didn’t play on grand final day for various reasons,’ Wright added.
‘(Reef) McInnes, (Finlay) Macrae, Ed Allan, and these people who want and deserve a chance – that’s where we hope our improvement comes from,’ says McInnes.
