Jack Ginnivan is a polarising player. He ducks his head, he draws free kicks, and he kicks goals. Everything his fans love and opposition fans hate.
The extroverted Magpie clearly also loves a big stage. On Anzac Day the blond haired kid was the difference between Collingwood and Essendon. He booted five goals, he got under the skin, and he had utter composure in front of goal, booting not only scrounged goals but long set shots.
He even shooshed the Essendon fans after one of his goals.
In a close contest that was deserving of the 84,205-strong crowd in perfect autumn sunshine, the Magpies held a manageable lead for the first half but could not shake Essendon. The lead changed six times in the second half.
The reason for that was the Essendon trio of Darcy Parish, Zach Merrett and Sam Draper, who were superb for three quarters. They made sure the Bombers controlled the clearances and thus remained in the contest. Some wasteful kicking hurt Essendon but in the third term they took some chances. Matt Guelfi gave the Bombers the lead after a free kick paid against Jordan De Goey.
Anzac Day Medallist Jack Ginnivan was best afield.Credit:Getty Images
In the last term, Collingwood’s ruckman Brodie Grundy lifted for his best quarter of football for the year. He had been beaten by Draper and took a painful knock to the knee in a ruck contest, but he began to mark around the ground, something that is a tender spot in his game. He finished the day with six marks. Last week he didn’t take any. And he booted a long goal from just inside 50 in the last quarter to seal the contest for Collingwood.
Collingwood reached their “smash glass in case of emergency” moment with Scott Pendlebury and moved him from a back flank onto the ball to stem the bleeding from clearances in the last quarter. Aside from one moment when he was run down in a tackle, unaware of the danger behind him, his composure was crucial in that last term.
Parish rolled an ankle in a tackle early in the last quarter and went off for treatment, and was more subdued once he returned, but last year’s Anzac medallist still finished the day with an astonishing 44 touches.
Polarising Ginnivan delivers an Anzac Day to remember for Magpies fans
Source: Philippines Alive
