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AFL: Pre-season banter made Collingwood’s Isaac Quaynor and Jack Ginnivan best mates

It’s the Collingwood bromance built on banter.

Jack Ginnivan first registered on Isaac Quaynor’s radar when his agent, John Meesen, asked him two years ago to look out for a “cheeky” new draftee and fellow Kapital Sports Group client.

But it wasn’t until this past summer when Ginnivan’s bravado and spunk caught Quaynor’s attention and he began gravitating to him.

Quaynor was mic’d up one pre-season session and, as a small defender, found himself regularly alongside the dangerous goalsneak.

“I was running past him just trying to razz him up a little bit, and he bit back,” he said of Ginnivan.

“We played on each other in a lot of the match simulation stuff towards the end of pre-season and it was always good fun.

“The more games you play, the more comfortable you feel, so when he wasn’t playing AFL football, he was kind of in his shell a little bit, then as his confidence grew he started to express himself in his own unique way.

“He’s a very confident fella out on the field, he’s very talented, he does some freaky things and he talks a lot of crap when he’s out there – and I love that.”

They have become best mates, with Quaynor watching in awe as the 19-year-old transformed into a “national sensation.”

The pair make up half of the Collingwood representation in the 40-man AFL Players’ Association 22 Under 22 squad, alongside Nathan Murphy and Rising Star favorite Nick Daicos.

“The best part is there are four of us this year and there’s a few other boys who could have been in the mix if they’d played a few more games,” Quaynor said.

“It’s an exciting young group we’ve got at the moment.”

But it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for Quaynor and Ginnivan, who were caught up in a TikTok controversy in June after taking part in a social media trend where they rated women on their features and looks.

“You need to learn from the mistakes you make, and I definitely did,” he said.

“As soon as it came to the media and ‘Wrighty’ (football boss Graham Wright) and things like that; I was automatically remorseful and wanted to get that apology video out to try and nip it in the bud.

“It was pretty full-on but sometimes you’ve got to cop a whack to learn some things.”

Quaynor is convinced Collingwood can win this year’s premiership after a barnstorming run of 11 consecutive victories, including six straight by single-digit margins and eight overall.

The extraordinary run comes a year after the Pies finished second-last and sacked coach Nathan Buckley before hiring Craig McRae, who won his players over with a pre-season pledge to be “a man of his word”.

“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind and a great year to date,” Quaynor said.

“I think the way ‘Fly’ (McRae) and the rest of the coaching staff have been able to direct the ship and create this family, winning environment and culture so quickly is pretty special.

“Us young boys are really buying into that and kind of drive that, which really helps as well.”

Voting runs from August 10 to 17 at 22under22.com.au, with the final team announced on August 23 on the AFL’s social media channels

AFLPA 22UNDER22 SQUAD

DEFENDERS

Keidean Coleman (Bris), Isaac Quaynor (Coll), Nathan Murphy (Coll), Nick Daicos (Coll), Hayden Young (Frem), Jordan Clark (Frem), Sam De Koning (Geel), Harrison Petty (Melb), Bailey Scott (NM), Nick Blakey (Syd), Tom McCartin (Syd)

MIDFIELDERS

Sam Berry (Adel), Adam Cerra (Carl), Sam Walsh (Carl), Andrew Brayshaw (Frem), Caleb Serong (Frem), Matt Rowell (GC), Noah Anderson (GC), Tom Green (GWS), Jai Newcombe (Haw), James Jordon (Melb), Connor Rozee (PA), Zak Butters (PA), Chad Warner (Syd), James Rowbottom (Syd), Justin McInerney (Syd), Bailey Smith (WB)

FORWARDS

Darcy Fogarty (Adel), Cameron Rayner (Bris), Jack Ginnivan (Coll), Nic Martin (Ess), Michael Frederick (Fre), Izak Rankine (GC), Kysaiah Pickett (Melb), Max King (StK), Errol Gulden (Syd), Aaron Naughton (WB), Cody Weightman (WB)

RUCKS

Luke Jackson (Melb), Noah Balta (Rich)

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AFL Players’ Association reveals 40 player squad

The brilliant contribution of Sydney and Fremantle’s young guns to their respective teams’ surges up the ladder this year have been recognised, with the two clubs making up a quarter of this year’s 22under22 squad.

The AFL Players’ Association on Tuesday night released the 40-man squad for the 10th edition of the 22under22 team, which recognized the best players aged 22 and under in a season.

Sydney, which sits fourth on the ladder, boasts a competition-high six nominations, while five players from the sixth-placed Dockers are in the mix for final selection.

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Nick Blakey, Tom McCartin, Chad Warner, James Rowbottom, Justin McInerney and Errol Gulden from the Swans have all been nominated, while Dockers young guns Hayden Young, Jordan Clark, Andy Brayshaw, Caleb Serong and Michael Frederick are all in line to be named in the final 22under22 team.

Remarkably, Serong is in line to be selected in the final 22 for the first time, despite his impressive first two seasons that included the Rising Star award in 2020.

Surprise packets Collingwood has four nominees (Isaac Quaynor, Nathan Murphy, Nick Daicos and Jack Ginnivan) as does Melbourne (Harry Petty, James Jordon, Kysaiah Pickett and Luke Jackson).

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Daicos, the odds-on Rising Star favourite, has is one of only two first-year players in the squad of 40, with Essendon’s Nic Martin the other. Hawks midfielder Jai Newcombe was nominated just over 12 months after he was picked up in the mid-season draft.

Bulldogs forward Aaron Naughton and Carlton midfielder Sam Walsh are looking to be selected for a fourth time in their final year of eligibility. If selected, they’ll join Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli (five selections) and Bombers defender Andy McGrath as the only players to have completed the feat.

Brayshaw, Adam Cerra, Bailey Smith and Max King are looking to be selected for a third time.

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Overall, 17 of the 18 clubs are represented in the squad, with no West Coast player in the squad.

The final 22-man team, which will derive from the squad of 40, will be announced online on August 23.

Players must have played at least 11 games in a year and be aged 22 and under for the entirety of the season, including the finals series, to be eligible for 22under22 selection.

Fans can vote on the 22under22 side by tapping here, with voting closing on Wednesday August 17.

THE 22UNDER22 SQUAD OF 40 FOR 2022

Adelaide Crows – 2: Sam Berry (midfield/wing), Darcy Fogarty (forward)

Brisbane Lions – 2: Keidean Coleman (defender), Cameron Rayner (forward/midfield)

Carlton – 2: Adam Cerra (midfield/wing), Sam Walsh (midfield)

Collingwood – 4: Isaac Quaynor (defender), Nathan Murphy (defender), Nick Daicos (defender), Jack Ginnivan (forward)

Essendon – 1: Nic Martin (forward)

Fremantle – 5: Hayden Young (defender), Jordan Clark (defender), Andy Brayshaw (midfield), Caleb Serong (midfield), Michael Frederick (forward)

Geelong Cats – 1: Sam De Koning (defender)

Gold Coast Suns – 3: Noah Anderson (midfield), Matt Rowell (midfield), Izak Rankine (forward)

GWS Giants – 1: Tom Green (midfield)

Hawthorn – 1: Jai Newcombe (midfield)

Melbourne – 4: Harry Petty (defender), James Jordon (midfield/wing), Kysaiah Pickett (forward), Luke Jackson (ruck)

North Melbourne—1: Bailey Scott (defender)

Port Adelaide – 2: Connor Rozee (midfield/forward), Zak Butters (midfield/forward)

Richmond – 1: Noah Balta (ruck/forward)

St Kilda – 1: Max King (forward)

Sydney Swans – 6: Nick Blakey (defender), Tom McCartin (defender), Chad Warner (midfield), James Rowbottom (midfield), Justin McInerney (midfield/wing), Errol Gulden (forward/midfield)

West Coast Eagles-0

Western Bulldogs – 3: Bailey Smith (midfield), Aaron Naughton (forward), Cody Weightman (forward)

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Sports

GWS Giants, salary cap, Josh Kelly, Nick Haynes, Tim Taranto, Jacob Hopper, Tanner Bruhn, Lachie Whitfield, Tom Green, trade, whispers

GWS need to follow Collingwood’s lead and commit to a salary cap dump in a bid to rejuvenate a list that’s missing “an A-grader”, according to journalist Jon Ralph.

The Giants are languishing in 16th position with just five wins for 2022 – with coach Leon Cameron an early casualty.

Speaking on Fox Footy’s On The Couch, Ralph said the GWS salary cap reset was “officially on”, with a host of players set to be put up for trade.

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“I think rather than an exodus of players wanting to flee this club, I think it’s a really calculated decision by this club (that) we need to fix this salary cap issue once and for all,” he said.

“If you are going to do it, over three or four years, do it now with really tough decisions.

“Josh Kelly’s contract hits $1.2m at some stage – it’s back-ended, Nick Haynes next year is on over $800,000 – back-ended. That’s a decision the club’s made, but you can fix it right now.

“The inside mids will depart; Jacob Hopper, Tanner Bruhn, Bobby Hill as a small forward, I think to Collingwood.

“The Giants would love to keep Tim Taranto who can play as a medium forward, but he wants to play as an inside mid but they will not push him out.

“I think if someone wanted to pay Haynes’ salary, I think he’d be available.”

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Ralph said rumors of a Lachie Whitfield exit were incorrect, and said Tom Green would remain at the club too.

“Lachie Whitfield will not be part of a trade … he’s had an ankle that’s been so bad since Round 8 he’s needed surgery but he’s battled on,” he said.

“Tom Green, happy, contracted, part of those 14 players (called out by caretaker coach Mark McVeigh) and that brings the speculation that he won’t be there.

Collingwood missed the flag. Two years later, the salary cap exodus. I think it’s taken one more year but they are going to do something about it and it’s going to cause a ripple effect.

“Over a million bucks of cap space over next year and potentially years to come as well.”

GWS Giants press conference | 10:43

Ralph said the exits of Hopper, Bruhn, Hill and Taranto would still leave the Giants with the likes of Stephen Coniglio, Kelly, Green and Whitfield.

And it would free up some space to target an “A-grader” like Collingwood’s Brodie Grundy.

“They’ve got three ruckmen who are probably worth $1 million (combined) – none of them are A-graders,” Ralph said.

“Would you make strong decisions to bring in Brodie Grundy, pay him his $1 million and you’ve got A-graders, difference makers.

“You might create space for the key position forward. It’s not they’ve got too many stars, it’s they are an unbalanced list which is why they want to bring in a key position forward and maybe a ruckman.”

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GWS Giants caretaker coach Mark McVeigh post-match press conference, rivals urged to take advantage, trade news, rumors, whispers, reactions, response, commentary, latest

Giants caretaker coach Mark McVeigh’s brutally honest assessment that his players “checked out” in the club’s 73-point Sydney derby loss have raised the eyebrows of pundits including a call for rivals to leverage the situation to try and raid his talent.

McVeigh didn’t hold back in his assessment of his team’s post-match performance, labeling it “embarrassing,” and even saying only eight players “went to the wall” and that the club has “got to shift the standards.”

It comes as several stars including Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper face uncertain futures at Western Sydney and have been linked to trade talks.

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And former Melbourne skipper Garry Lyon believes rivals should look to take advantage of McVeigh’s post-match comments in their bid to lure players out of the club.

“In the ruthless industry that we’re in, those comments for me also give Richmond, just for example, if you were interested in Tom Green before the weekend and those comments, then now you are going as hard as you possibly could – or Taranto or Hopper for that matter,” he said on SEN Breakfast.

“Whoever the teams are that are interested in them, you’re going ‘righto, this is where they see you, and here’s your opportunity’.”

Several Giants including Hopper and Taranto have been linked to trades (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS

It comes after St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt feared McVeigh’s comments could cost the caretaker coach a full-time gig in 2023.

The Giants have now fallen to 3-7 under McVeigh since he took over from Leon Cameron in Round 10 including dropping their last four consecutive games to slide to 16th on the ladder.

And speaking on McVeigh’s bold statements on Fox Footy’s First CrackRoos legend David King questioned whether an interim boss was in a position to launch such a scathing assessment.

“They’re huge statements, and this is a bit of an awkward situation, it’s a caretaker coach. I know he’s been (in charge) for 10 weeks and there’s some frustration there … but I’m not convinced that a caretaker coach can make those sorts of grand statements,” King said.

“I’m not sure he can question the standards of your football club and (say) that they’ve got to shift, he can name only eight players and isolate the rest.

“(Saying), ‘We’ve going to find players who want to fight it out,’ I’m comfortable with that, of course, that’s the gig. But questioning whether players have checked out — they’re pretty bold statements and sweeping statements that go across a club.

“Gee whiz, I wonder whether the footy manager would grab him and say, ‘hey, listen, (saying we) embarrassed the club’s a bit strong. We’ve still got three weeks to finish off here. We still need a positive environment, we still need to challenge everyone to get better, absolutely.’

“But saying, ‘we’ve got to shift the standards of our football club’ is a poor reflection on the total club, not just not just the representation on field for that two hours.”

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Dual All-Australian Leigh Montagna believes isolating the performances of eight players was the most damning, saying it “threw the other 14 under the bus”.

“The eight he mentioned were the leaders including Lachie Whitfield and Josh Kelly, who I didn’t think they had a huge influence,” Montagna said.

“Basically he’s throwing all the kids under the bus — James Peatling, Jacob Wehr, Leek Aleer, Xavier O’Halloran, Lachie Ash and Tom Green. They’re all still trying to find themselves as players.

“To not include them almost saying, ‘well, they didn’t go to the well for the team,’ I thought was a bit unfair. Start with the leaders, they need to change the culture of the footy club. He did mention a few of the younger ones who are coming up, Sam Taylor and Harry Perryman, but I think it needs to start right at the top.”

The Giants are 3-7 under McVeigh (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS

Former St Kilda and Fremantle coach Ross Lyon also wasn’t a fan of McVeigh’s post-match criticism.

“Instinctively I didn’t like it at all, because you’re individualizing the ones who did and the ones that didn’t, and you’re distancing yourself,” he said on Triple M.

“I think there’s conversations you have behind closed doors. I didn’t like it at all… there’s three rounds to go, there’s things you often want to say as the senior coach, but you can be too honest.

“You can’t do that to your playing group… you lose them straight away. What’s the reason they’re like that? Your job is then to dive in and try and get to that and turn it around. I don’t know how that’s being achieved by saying it publicly.

“At the end of the day you’ve taken the reins, it can’t be all care and no responsibility. When you put your hand up to take the chair you can’t separate yourself.

“He’s a really strong character and really well respected, but just saying it doesn’t mean things are going to.

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