Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell has dismissed former teammate Luke Hodge’s assertion Jack Ginnivan’s recent social media activity could spur Port Adelaide in their AFL semi-final clash.
Hodge felt Ginnivan went too far in his by-play with ex-Collingwood teammate Brodie Grundy when he responded to a post with a public “see you in 14 days” response.
It was a reference to a possible preliminary final meeting between Grundy’s Sydney Swans and the Hawks, who must beat the Power at Adelaide Oval on Friday night to advance.
“One thing you don’t do is give ammunition to the opposition,” Hodge said on SEN radio.
“He’s having a bit of a joke, he played two years with Grundy at Collingwood, so they know each other and it’s probably a bit of banter.
“But what you do is you send banter in a text message, you don’t put it out in the open for Port Adelaide to sit there and go, ‘Let’s use this and get stuck into Ginnivan’.”
Sam Mitchell. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Ginnivan’s post came a few days after he raised eyebrows by going out for dinner at a popular Richmond pub the night before the Hawks’ elimination final win over the Western Bulldogs.
Mitchell had no issue with Ginnivan’s pub trip and wasn’t overly concerned by the social media post.
“Hodgey’s obviously from my old-school days,” Mitchell said on Wednesday when asked about his four-time premiership teammate’s comments.
“I heard his comments and I know that he’s just trying to spur on the Hawks as he goes for us this week.
“I’m not sure about motivating Port Adelaide. They’ve got their season on the line the same way we do.
“We’re going into a knockout final and I think both teams are going to be as highly motivated as you could possibly hope for.
“I don’t buy into too many things outside that.”
Mitchell has made a big selection call, picking Jai Serong as a replacement for experienced key defender Sam Frost, who has been ruled out for the rest of the finals series with a foot injury.
The 21-year-old has played just nine senior games, including four this season, and last appeared at AFL level in the round-10 defeat to Port Adelaide.
Serong’s selection is reward for his outstanding form across 13 VFL matches this season.
“While it is disappointing for Sam (Frost) to miss Friday night’s game, we know Jai has been knocking on the door for a number of weeks now with his fantastic form in the VFL,” Hawks football boss Rob McCartney said.
“It’s pleasing to see him get another opportunity to showcase his weapons at the AFL level and we know he will take it with both hands.”
Jack Macrae is set to join Western Bulldogs teammate Bailey Smith in seeking a new AFL home.
The day after Smith confirmed months of speculation that he would nominate for the upcoming trade period, it’s emerged Macrae also wants to leave Whitten Oval.
Macrae, a 2016 premiership player and three-time All-Australian midfielder, is contracted to the Bulldogs until the end of 2027.
It follows a challenging season for Macrae, who had a pre-season hamstring injury and did not return to the AFL until round four.
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He played 19 senior games, four of them as the substitute.
The Bulldogs were not commenting late on Tuesday about media reports flagging Macrae’s trade wish.
There is no immediate word as well about his preferred destination but St Kilda and Geelong have emerged as the early frontrunners for his signature.
Dogs teammate Caleb Daniel could also be available despite being contracted until 2027 after the 28-year-old has fallen out of favour at the club.
Melbourne are shaping up as Daniel’s landing spot as a replacement for the retiring Angus Brayshaw.
Also on Tuesday, the Bulldogs announced a two-year deal for defender Buku Khamis.
Meanwhile, Irishman Mark Keane has signed a fresh contract with Adelaide, rejecting offers from rival clubs including Collingwood.
The Magpies made a strong pitch for Keane to rejoin Collingwood, where he started his AFL career and spent the 2020 and ’21 seasons.
After staying in Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic and missing the 2022 AFL season, Keane was signed by Adelaide as a pre-season supplemental selection.
Keane played five games for the Crows last year after a limited pre-season but featured in 21 matches this year and impressed in a key defensive role, averaging almost 17 disposals and more than five marks a game.
At Adelaide Keane had been on a low-base contract, which expired at the end of next season.
But with Collingwood lurking, the Crows offered the 24-year-old a fresh deal.
Adelaide have fended off interest from rival clubs to keep Mark Keane. Crows list manager Justin Reid said Keane is now one of their most important players.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with what Mark has brought to our club over the past two seasons,” Reid said. “He is a great teammate and a ruthless competitor, and this year took his game to a new level as a key member of our backline.
“We see him as an important part of our future and are obviously thrilled that he’s extended his contract with us until 2028.”
In his two years at Adelaide, Keane said he had settled well into the club and the city.
“I feel like I’ve come a long way and taken my opportunities and hopefully there is a lot of improvement to come in the next four years, so I can’t wait to get back to work with my teammates in pre-season,” he said.
with AAP
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