Collingwood coach Craig McRae says he will seek clarity from the AFL on Jack Ginnivan’s job after it was suggested that the striker did not receive some free throws due to controversy over the young man’s style of play. 19 years old.
Ginnivan received two controversial free throws in the first quarter, one for being held back and one for a push in the back, with kicking goals from both, as the Pies finally recorded a four-point victory over Hawthorn in the first quarter. ‘MCG Sunday.
At some point in the second half, Ginnivan seemed to be caught high by a rival, but was not allowed free throws, which raised the question of whether Ginnivan’s reputation had worked against him instead of being in his favor. his.
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Speaking after the game, McRae challenged the idea that Ginnivan exaggerated contact to draw free throws.
“Playing free throws is an interesting way of saying it. I think the players are very good at avoiding tackles and learning how to dodge them and make it difficult to tackle, ”he said.
“We are asking our players to spend time on the ball, which means you will probably have frontal contact, but we want to keep the ball in front of us.
“Being tackled versus being tackled, we practice. I think it’s a skill. It forces the tackle to really be at their best.
“Is it within the rules? There are no rules against it at the moment.”
When asked if Ginnivan’s style of play could have been a factor in some free throws not being awarded in the second half, McRae said it would be wrong if he did.
Collingwood Magpies Press Conference | 09:49
“Maybe I need a little clarity because, as far as I know, this is (high contact) a free kick, so we’ll just have a little bit of clarity,” he said.
“But thinking that you can’t charge a free kick because we don’t like you shooting free throws, I’m not sure that’s the case. I’m just going to get some clarity on that. “
When asked directly if he would ask the AFL for clarification, McRae replied, “I think so.”
“Especially when you’re catching a ball on the ground and then you get hooked. Dusty does it with one arm, Joel Selwood has made a living from it, I think it’s a smart game. “
Ginnivan has scored 21 goals in 10 games this season, and has reached the spotlight with a five-goal performance against Essendon on ANZAC Day that saw him awarded the medal for best field.
The claws get the thriller against Hawthorn | 01:57
Speaking to foxfooty.com.au after the match, teammate and arms recruit Patrick Lipinski believed that Ginnivan had put himself under the skin of the opposing sides with great effect.
“He is a very practical football player. Turn your goals into opportunities. The opposition hates him, they always do things to him, which is a bit disappointing, but we have to defend him, “Lipinski said after accumulating 29 dismissals and scoring a goal against Hawthorn.
“It’s been great this season and he’s only 19, having scored 20 goals in 10 games is also amazing. It’s been great and we just have to keep supporting it. ”
When asked if the players seemed to target Ginnivan more than other players, Lipinski replied, “It looks like that, but it’s okay, he’s getting some free throws and he’s converting the goals.”
“They don’t like him because he’s a good player at the end of the day. We love our team. “
After McRae’s press conference, Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell was amused when he was informed of McRae’s desire to seek clarity during the week and was asked if he was comfortable with the technique. confrontation of its players.
Hawthorn Press Conference | 09:41
“It’s a difficult question to answer. Smart little strikers, many of them in their bag have the ability to draw a free throw,” he said.
“Paul Puopolo was a guy I played with for a long time and he was a teacher. There is a real art and if you are a small striker, having it in your bag is very useful.
Ginnivan has a very good ability to draw a real free kick and our players were very aware of that when they came into the game and I thought these situations had been handled very well. ”