Melbourne captain Max Gawn has thrown his support behind Jack Ginnivan following criticism of the Hawthorn forward’s showboating antics in Thursday night’s 22-point win over the Western Bulldogs.
Appearing on Triple M’s Mick in the Morning on Friday, Gawn was asked whether he’d take offence if Collingwood’s Jamie Elliott flashed the ball at him en route to goal in Monday’s King’s Birthday blockbuster.
Gawn dryly replied: “Kozzie [Kysaiah Pickett] does it from time to time; I don’t mind it to be honest. Especially the way Hawthorn plays their football, they play their best football when they’re up and about and showcasing their personalities. I’m all for it.”
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Ginnivan’s over-the-shoulder teasing of the Dogs’ defence before slamming home a goal has polarised AFL fans. Even Hawthorn teammate Mabior Chol admitted he “wasn’t a fan” of the stunt.
But Gawn believes players should be free to express themselves, though he didn’t let the moment go without a word of caution.
“That stuff can bite you in the arse”
Gawn, never one to shy away from calling it straight, cited a moment involving former teammate Brodie Grundy as a cautionary tale. “I remember a time when Brody kicked a goal in Adelaide… it got us up 20 points, but we still lost the game. He shushed the crowd – and maybe he shouldn’t have done that.”
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“I would never do it, but to be fair, I’m never running into an open goal,” he added, laughing.
Ginnivan has since responded to the online furore with a cheeky post on X, writing: “Why everyone wanna be so serious, bro can’t have fun,” followed by a pair of dinosaur emojis.