- Former Collingwood star made headlines ahead of 2023 finals
- It has become a trending topic on social media again for the same reasons.
- He posted a picture to applaud football fans who criticized him
Hawthorn Hawks star Jack Ginnivan has given the perfect response after causing another stir on social media ahead of the AFL finals.
Last season, when the young star was playing for Collingwood, he was criticised for spending time at Moonee Valley races before finals, with the Magpies eventually winning the championship.
In a case of Groundhog Day, Ginnivan was back in the spotlight ahead of the Hawks’ elimination final against the Western Bulldogs at the MCG.
The 21-year-old was pictured at the London Tavern in Richmond, again sparking hundreds of comments online with football fans divided over whether his actions were right or not.
The Hawks star was reportedly “in the water” and enjoying a meal as he watched Geelong destroy Port Adelaide and had the blessing of coach Sam Mitchell. But some fans weren’t convinced.
“It doesn’t look like water to me,” posted one fan.
“Why don’t you get cooking the sauce? The season will be ready tomorrow night,” added another.
“People need to get over this. It’s not the Olympics or the Premier League. These things would happen in local football every week,” posted another.
Ginnivan was spotted at the London Tavern in Richmond the night before the Hawks’ elimination final against the Bulldogs on Friday night.
The Hawthorn star posted this image shortly after 9pm in response to criticism over her appearance at the pub.
But Ginnivan had many defenders who said he did nothing wrong.
“There’s nothing wrong with having a bite to eat at the bar before a game, especially if the manager gives the go-ahead,” one fan said.
“Looks like water to me, definitely not beer,” said another.
“He won a championship the last time he came out before a big game – stick to a proven method,” another added.
However, Ginnivan himself quickly dismissed any suggestion he had been drinking late into the night, responding to a post from SEN’s Sam Edmund pointing to his actions in 2023 and this year.
She posted a picture that seemed to indicate she was back home, showing a digital photo frame with a picture of her family, a candle and two cups of what appeared to be tea.
The 21-year-old recruit will be a big part of the Hawks’ resurgence in the coming years.
Ginnivan took a cheeky dig at his former club Collingwood when they met earlier this year.
He captioned the image with a ‘Zzz’ emoji just after 9pm, responding to critics by showing that he went to sleep early to be ready for his finale.
While Ginnivan appeared to be clear of any wrongdoing, AFL commentator and analyst Kane Cornes questioned why he would put himself in the media spotlight ahead of such a big game, again.
“The Jack Ginnivan case fascinates me. I don’t know why he would put himself in that position and cause a distraction,” Cornes told SEN Breakfast.
“He’s the one who’s got us talking about this now. Why would he think it’s a good idea, after what happened before last year’s Grand Final, to go to a pub?
‘Now, he hasn’t done anything wrong here. He’s out until 9pm and he’s back home before the break, but if you put yourself in this situation, what’s the risk and reward?
“He hasn’t done anything wrong. He even tweeted about Sammy Edmund last night. I think it’s an unnecessary distraction.”
‘I couldn’t think of anything worse than going to a pub before a game, but that’s just me and this Hawthorn team does things differently and he does things differently.
“For me, the important thing is the fact that we’re talking about it. There’s a picture in the Herald Sun. It looks like he’s drinking a Pepsi Max. He’s clearly not drinking. I don’t know what the point was in doing that, especially after what happened before the Grand Final last year.”