HEARTBREAKING: Fans had heartbroken’ after Jack Ginnivan goes to Hawthorn for nothing…
Collingwood fans have been left devastated after the shock departure of dynamic small forward Jack Ginnivan on the final day of the AFL trade period.
Despite having a year to go on his contract, the premiership player has moved to Hawthorn, after a staggering series of events that suddenly saw him on the outer.
The Ginnivan bombshell first dropped on Tuesday with his management telling the Magpies he wanted to be traded, less than three weeks after playing in the club’s 16th VFL/AFL premiership.
The deal was completed on Wednesday, hours before the 7.30pm trade deadline.
Collingwood gained future second and third-round picks as part of the deal, while the Hawks received Ginnivan as well as future second and fourth-round picks.
In essence, Collingwood didn’t get much for the star, but they already had beefed up their small forward stocks with the acquisition of Lachie Schultz from Fremantle earlier in the week.
Schultz joined Norm Smith medallist Bobby Hill and fellow premiership player Beau McCreery at Collingwood, effectively squeezing Ginnivan out.
AFL trade deadline recap: Dodoro lives up to reputation with final act
Adrian Dodoro, General Manager – List & Recruiting of the Bombers speaks with media during the 2023 Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period at Marvel Stadium on October 09, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
And fans weren’t happy, believing the club had “turfed out” their cult hero.
Indeed, Ginnivan had been a handful for the Pies.
After kicking 40 goals during a breakout 2022 campaign, he struggled to regain those heights following a controversial start to the 2023 campaign.
He was banned for the first two rounds of 2023 after admitting to illicit drug use in January during a pre-season camp.
He then spent periods in the VFL, and failed to have an impact during Collingwood’s three finals wins.
He also landed himself in trouble for attending a horse racing event on grand final eve.
“Read the room, Jack,” Collingwood coach Craig McRae said in his post-grand final press conference when asked about Ginnivan’s night at the races.
“You’ve got to grow up, but you’ve got to make mistakes to learn from them.”
When the club posted details of the Ginnivan trade on social media with a “farewell” message, fans were quick to fire up.