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Collingwood fan favourite Jack Ginnivan has described his move to Hawthorn as a \u201cdream come true\u201d, as his manager revealed he drove his player\u2019s move out of Collingwood after sensing the forward\u2019s time was up in the black and white.<\/p>\n
The Hawks unveiled their recruit on Thursday morning at Waverley, decking Ginnivan out in a long-sleeve Hawthorn jumper after securing him in a trade for a suite of pick swaps.<\/p>\n
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New Hawk: Collingwood premiership player Jack Ginnivan.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Hawthorn Football Club<\/cite><\/p>\n Ginnivan, whose professionalism had been questioned during his 42-game career at Collingwood, had been working in the gym at his new club\u2019s headquarters.<\/p>\n The sight of Ginnivan in the brown and gold will be jarring for Magpies fans, who embraced the cheeky and talented goalsneak with the knack of frustrating rival players and supporters – and his own coach.<\/p>\n As a Collingwood premiership player, Ginnivan will forever have a connection to the Magpies, but he now gets to realise his childhood dream of playing for the club he barracked for as a kid.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a dream come true to don the brown and gold, finally,\u201d Ginnivan told the Hawks website.<\/p>\n As a player, Sam Mitchell once took Ginnivan under his wing for a fan photo. As the Hawks coach, he will do the same figuratively speaking to bring out the best from the 20-year-old, who has created headlines off the field for deeds ranging in seriousness from attending the races the night before the grand final to taking an illicit substance.<\/p>\n \u201cGrowing up watching him, having his number on my back, those are the things you dream of as a little kid and for that to happen is so special,\u201d Ginnivan said of teaming up with Mitchell.<\/p>\n Luke Breust is another member of the Hawks\u2019 golden generation he will be working closely with.<\/p>\n \u201cI always wanted to play like him, copied his goal style routine,\u201d Ginnivan said. \u201cIt\u2019ll be good to stand next to him in the forward line, and Mitch Lewis, hopefully if he\u2019s not marking he can bring it to ground and I can kick a couple of goals from crumbs.\u201d<\/p>\n Ginnivan\u2019s departure comes less than three weeks after playing in the Pies\u2019 premiership. The first clash between Hawthorn and Collingwood next year already has blockbuster status.<\/p>\n \u201c[It was] a great achievement with all my mates back there, it\u2019ll be a memory I cherish forever,\u201d Ginnivan said. \u201cIt was such a special day and so cool to be a part of.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack Ginnivan celebrates with the premiership cup after a surprise appearance at the races on grand final eve.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Paul Rovere<\/cite><\/p>\n Collingwood football boss Graham Wright has said the Pies did not drive Ginnivan out of the club but the player\u2019s manager John Meese said it was clear in his conversations with Wright that his client needed to leave.<\/p>\n The Pies acquisition of Lachie Schultz from Fremantle meant Ginnivan faced a battle to retain his place in the starting 22.<\/p>\n \u201cWrighty said to me that they hadn\u2019t had any conversations. I don\u2019t want to go tit for tat, but from that conversation I got off the phone to him knowing that Jack\u2019s future wasn\u2019t at Collingwood,\u201d Meesen told SEN.<\/p>\n \u201dWho initiated the discussions was probably me on the back of some trusted people in the industry saying \u2018look his name is getting thrown out there\u2019. So I picked up the phone and took Wrighty at his word that he hadn\u2019t had any conversations about Jack leaving.<\/p>\n \u201cBut from that, you start to unwind a little bit on \u2018where does he sit and what does it look like, and can you give us any assurances?\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cThere wasn\u2019t a whole heap of fighting to want to keep Jack at the footy club. We had to move quickly and that\u2019s OK. That\u2019s the nature of the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n Meesen acknowledged Ginnivan had not been the most professional trainer but said not many players are at 20, and believed the move away from a club as big as Collingwood would help him.<\/p>\n \u201cThe whirlwind he had in the last two to three years, he\u2019s gone from relatively unknown to this enigma and personality in the AFL industry,\u201d Meesen said. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of hard to escape that and just settle in your carer and be yourself because everything he was doing was magnified.<\/p>\n \u201cWas it training standards? Was it just him? The magnifying glass of being at Collingwood is just intense.<\/p>\n \u201cJack understands the reality right now. Twenty days or less [since] he [became] …. a premiership player, now he finds himself at another footy club. Hopefully, this is what Jack needs to settle into his career, take the spotlight off him.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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