A former Saint has been rushed to hospital, reportedly with a fractured skull, after a shocking incident that saw a local footy game called off on Saturday.
Eli Templeton was sent crashing over a fence while representing Balwyn Football Club and landed head-first onto the surrounding concrete.
He suffered concussion in the shocking incident that’s been described in a News Corp report as “not malicious”.
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It was former Docker Zac Clarke who made the contact that sent Templeton over the fence in the clash between Balwyn and Doncaster East.
Templeton was reportedly unconscious for at least two minutes after the accident.
There’s reports the 26-year-old suffered a fractured skull in the sickening collision which left teammates and those at the ground visibly shaken.
But in good news for Templeton, he is set to make a full recovery.
Balwyn president Richard Wilson told local media the youngster was “cognitive and speaking and passing all the tests” on Saturday night.
It’s believed if Templeton had gone over the fence a few meters away from where he landed, it would have been onto grass.
Templeton had been granted permission to play for Balwyn after his VFL side Port Melbourne had the bye this weekend.
In a statement, Port Melbourne confirmed Templeton was injured in the collision.
“The club is aware that one of our VFL players Eli Templeton was injured in a local game today playing for Balwyn,” the statement read.
“We ask that everyone respects his privacy and we will update in due course.”
The 26-year-old played 14 games for the Saints across three seasons before being delisted at the end of 2016.
The Burnie product was the number three pick in the 2013 Rookie Draft but his AFL career was over by the age of just 21.
The Balwyn clash was called off early in the third term after Templeton’s sickening injury with the club leading by 23 points at the time.
St Kilda legend Nick Riewoldt has described his former club’s decision to trade away Ben McEvoy to Hawthorn as “mind-boggling.”
McEvoy, who played his 250th AFL game in Saturday’s win over Gold Coast, was dealt to the Hawks at the end of 2013 and has been an invaluable addition, winning two premierships and getting appointed captain in 2021.
Speaking on Fox Footy’s Best on GroundRiewoldt, who was Saints skipper at the time of the trade — which saw the club acquire Shane Savage and a first-round pick (Luke Dunstan) — says McEvoy was pushed out.
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“He didn’t leave, the club traded him. At the time it felt like the people in charge making those decisions were saying, ‘look how clever we are. Let’s trade this bloke and this bloke and we’ll get in some picks, we’ll show how clever we are with recruiting’,” Riewoldt said.
“You’ve got to get your picks right, and they didn’t… it was mind boggling, and still is.
“He’s been a superstar and it was still at St Kilda — a bit of a void of leadership is the criticism at times — he would’ve been perfect.
“But good luck to him, he’s gone on to great things.”
McEvoy was carried off after his milestone match and embraced by Hawks fans and teammates with his kids on the ground in great scenes.
Fellow Saints great Leigh Montagna also praised his former teammate post-game — a match that ended in the tough ruckman’s head bandaged after a knock.
McEvoy carried off after his 250th match (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
“Congratulations to Benny McEvoy, big contested mark in that last minute, the headband, he’s everything we’ve seen from him over 250 games,” he said on Fox Footy.
Hawks star Jack Gunston said of McEvoy: “You always love a good that you want to follow, and Ben is that guy. Headband today, of course he did. He’s just such a genuine good block, but such a competitor as well.
“It’s not an easy gig playing in the ruck I wouldn’t have thought, he’s just a good fella and I’m glad we got the win for him.”
McEvoy gave a shout out post-match to Dylan Moore playing in his 50th match in true selfless McEvoy style.
“It wasn’t pretty today, but sometimes you’ve got to win ugly. So pleased to get a result in mine and Moorey’s 300th.”
Collingwood coach Craig McRae says he’d “love” Jordan De Goey to stay at the club beyond this season amid uncertainty around the star free agent’s future.
De Goey was influential with 25 disposals, 10 contested, one goal and nine clearances in the Magpies’ thrilling seven-point win over Melbourne on Friday night, a performance McRae believes was “his best game of the year.”
Collingwood pulled a $3.2 million contract offer to De Goey after his Bali exploits earlier this year and put off contract talks with the star midfielder/forward until season’s end as rival clubs including St Kilda circle.
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And speaking after the Pies’ 11th-straight win on Friday night, McRae hoped De Goey would recommit to the club.
McRae hopes De Goey stays at the Pies (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“He’s a free agent. That’s his right to explore his options. I speak authentically; I’d love Jordy to stay. I would,” the Magpies coach said.
“That’s going to create a headline but we’ll just live in the moment and let Jordy keep being himself in our environment and make us better. Nights like tonight are good examples of his assets from him that makes us better.
“I thought it was his best game for the year. I thought he was a star. I thought I genuinely flipped the game around clearance.
“We couldn’t get the ball out of center bounces, we got smashed in there again and he just had this shrug the shoulders and swagger to get out of traffic.”
It comes a week after De Goey was best-on-ground in Collingwood’s win over Port Adelaide after returning from a three-game absence with a quad issue.
Teammate and close friend Brayden Maynard also wanted to see the De Goey stay in the black and white beyond 2023.
“He’s not going anywhere, I’ll make sure of that. I haven’t had a chat with him about it, but I’m sure he’ll make the right call,” he told Fox Footy post-match.
“If we want to leave, then he leaves, but I’m in his ear at the moment. I just want what’s best for him, so just got to be with him.”
Collingwood Magpies press conference | 09:16
The 25-year old’s contact negotiations are one of several big ticket items for Collingwood to address ahead of an eventful off-season, with Brodie Grundy’s future also uncertain as the Pies have been linked to the likes of Dan McStay, Tim Taranto and Bobby Hill .
De Goey has averaged a career-best 21.1 disposals per contest this season and booted 15 goals from as many games as he plays for arguably the most significant contract extension of his career.
St Kilda legend Nick Riewoldt thinks De Goey staying at the Magpies on a shorter deal might be in his best interests to stay “on the edge” instead of taking up a more lucrative offer elsewhere.
“I think that’s what you weigh up and the situation that’s going to bring the best out of yourself,” he said on Fox Footy.
“If being on the edge and only having a two-year deal is going to mean you make really good decisions in terms of your career, then maybe that’s the best thing for him.
“Rather than just looking at big carrot financially and security, maybe playing on the edge might be the best alternative.”
Two Fox Footy pundits have urged North Melbourne to make a “Luke Hodge-style play” for outgoing Docker David Mundy to boost the bottom-placed club’s leadership prospects.
Mundy, Fremantle’s games record-holder, on Monday called time on his celebrated AFL career, three days after making his 371st appearance.
It places Mundy in the 10th spot on the all-time VFL/AFL games played table, with Scott Pendlebury (352), Joel Selwood (350) and Lance Franklin (335) the closest to him among active players.
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Speaking on Fox Footy’s On The Couch on Monday night, Mundy, 37, said he was pretty happy and content” with his decision after a pre-season ankle injury kickstarted retirement thoughts, but said there was “nothing set in concrete” for post-footy life.
Asked if he would’ve played on at Freo had his body allowed him to, Mundy told On The Couch: “No I don’t think so. I’m really proud to still be able to strongly contribute on gameday in the 22nd.
“I’ve been thinking for a long time that I’d feel really guilty if I hung on and battled my way through a year and ended as a broken, crippled old man. To go out on top I feel a great deal of pleasure in.”
But Herald Sun Journalist Jon Ralph reported Mundy “just wasn’t offered a new deal and he would’ve played on”.
“I asked his management … Two weeks ago, he said ‘I’ll keep playing at this club until they kick me out’ … He was hopeful with contract negotiations as recently as two weeks ago and it didn’t happen,” Ralph told On The Couch.
“That’s not a pot on Fremantle, they just decided to go another way and that’s fine.”
St Kilda champion Nick Riewoldt said it was a “surprising” call by Mundy, who was awarded AFL Coaches’ Association MVP votes for his 35-disposal, 15-contested possession and 10-clearance display against Melbourne last Friday night.
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It’s why Riewoldt encouraged the 18th-placed Kangaroos to target Mundy this off-season
“I understand his reasons because you want to go out maintaining that really strong level of performance, but he wasn’t showing any signs of slowing down,” Riewoldt told On The Couch.
“He sounded definitive then, but if you’re North Melbourne, would you say to him: ‘Dave, come play for two years, stick around and be an assistant because we need some leadership’ – would you make the phone call?”
Fellow Fox Footy panelist Garry Lyon added: “It’s not the silliest idea you’ve ever had.”
David Mundy of the Fremantle Dockers addressing the media after announcing he will be retiring. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Herald Sun chief football writer Mark Robinson echoed Riewoldt’s thoughts minutes later, saying the Kangaroos should look at what Brisbane did in late 2017 when it traded in four-time premiership Hawk Luke Hodge as its young group moved into finals contention.
“I think North Melbourne should go after him and offer him a one-year deal to come over to Victoria and help the young kids at North Melbourne,” Robinson told Fox Footy’s AFL 360. “Like (Luke) Hodge, like the first-year Giants in James McDonald and a few others (in 2012).
“I think if he wants to continue playing, North Melbourne should look at a Luke Hodge-style play for David Mundy.
“He’s playing good enough. He’s not ‘at the end’, so if he’s a really good footy club person, give him a deal that (includes a) coaching role as well.”
AFL fans will know whether Tasmania becomes the 19th team in the competition by the end of this month, Fox Footy’s Jon Ralph believes.
Just a week after reports the Tassie bid had stalled over exactly who would fund a new stadium, Ralph said there’s confidence that a “new vision” for the stadium would broker the 19th license for 2027 and beyond.
Under new estimates, the venue would cost less than $500 million – rather than the initial $750m – and could once again change attitudes towards the potential new club.
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“There will be a vote by the end of the month,” Ralph said on Fox Footy.
“The Tasmanian Government they can secure funding for a stadium believe that’s less than $500m.
“The feasibility study that’s underway with the current taskforce and government won’t be completed by the end of April, but they believe if you have a $500m bill, it would be dollar for dollar.
“Federal government, State government, there’d be some private partnership investment, with a hotel, convention centre, parking of course which would attract some visitors.
“My understanding is the other work streams are basically done, basically ticked off. None of them are game changers. The stadium is the massive issue.
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“So the plan will go to the AFL committee, let’s call it mid-month. It will go back to the presidents to go back their own boards, and then presidents like Jeff Kennett will come to a consensus view.
“We will have a decision either way.”
The new stadium would be based upon the Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville, which was built for $295m two years ago.
For that venue, $140m came from State funding while a further $100m was provided from the Federal government.
Ralph said Tasmania’s stadium would also include a Perspex roof, like Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium, that would not be retractable.
“We are at the most official, the most important month in the history of the AFL in Tasmania,” Ralph said.
Fox Footy’s Nick Riewoldt, who is a Tasmanian AFL taskforce member, said now was the time for the AFL to choose a side on the 19th licence.
“Most arrogant performance!” | 03:02
“Now its incumbent on the AFL to, if they strongly believe Tasmania deserve a 19th license, to lobby that in front of the presidents,” he said.
“We know it’s mixed, some (club presidents) put their flags in the ground before the report had even been tabled.”
The Colin Carter report, on Tasmania’s bid for an AFL team, found the feasibility “stacks up”.
“Gillon McLachlan has said to them, funding will be conditional as long as you are turning sod on the new stadium by the time the team runs out for its first game, that’s acceptable,” Ralph added.
“Before finals, we’ll know (if they get a license).”
It’s crunch time for the AFL clubs in finals and flag contention – and most of them have several issues to address and fix before September.
Triple premiership Lion Jonathan Brown told Fox Footy’s On The Couch Geelong and Melbourne had “separated” themselves from the chasing pack, while Melbourne champion Garry Lyon said the way the Sydney Swans had been winning of late suggested they can be “added to the group”.
So the On The Couch panel, with the help of Champion Dataon Monday night discussed the concerns at seven clubs in the finals mix and their issues that would be “keeping coaches up at night”.
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BRISBANE LIONS
The Lions have slipped out of the top four – and now face a tough task to get back in there.
They’ve gone 5-5 from their past 10 games, while they’re 4-4 against top-10 teams across the entire season so far.
St Kilda legend Nick Riewoldt pointed to several alarming Champion Data rankings around the Lions’ defensive profile.
Since Round 10, the Lions have been ranked 16th for points against, 15th for opposition scores per inside 50, 13th for points against from turnovers, 14th for points against from clearances and, of most concern, 18th for points against from defensive half.
“We know offense hasn’t been their issue of late. It’s the fact that they’re getting scored against so heavily, particularly from the defensive half,” Riewoldt told On The Couch.
“This hasn’t been a major issue for them over the last few years. Defensively they’ve been so strong, so in a year where we all thought they’ll take the next step, this was not part of the game that they could afford to drop away, which it has dramatically.”
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“It’s clearly not just the defensive half of the ground where the struggles are or the back six – it’s all over the ground. So defending ball movement and not exposing your back six.”
Brown questioned whether the Lions’ forwards were wired to prioritize hitting the scoreboard, rather than applying pressure.
“Teams are able to move the ball from the Lions’ forward half, so clearly they’re not putting enough pressure on there,” he said.
“The other thing is the five or six forwards at the Lions are thinking: ‘For me to bring value to the team, in my own mind, I need to kick two or three goals today’ – thinking about themselves. I’m not sure where the focus lies there and where the balance lies between kicking goals and putting the defensive pressure on and playing a role for the team and making my teammate better.
“I’m just seeing some little things along the way, so that’s a watch.”
FREMANTLE
Like Brisbane, the Dockers have fallen out of the top four and now face an uphill battle to earn a double chance for September.
Lyon said the Dockers looked “unimaginative” and “passive” in their most recent performance against Melbourne. They now haven’t won since Round 17.
Brown pointed out points from turnover had become “a really big problem” for the Dockers, ranking 16th in that category since Round 10.
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“The thing is they can’t move the football at the moment,” he said.
“Teams have obviously started to work them out. They’re pressing up, they’re taking away their uncontested marks.
“Their ability to move the football is a huge concern for mine.”
CARLTON
Dual premiership Kangaroo David King labeled the Blues’ loss to Adelaide as one of the most “arrogant” performances he’d seen by an AFL team in years.
Instead of cementing their spot in the top eight, the defeat has left the Blues somewhat vulnerable ahead of the final three weeks. They need one more win to guarantee a finals spot, but they have a tough run against Brisbane, Melbourne and Collingwood.
In the past six weeks, according to Champion Datathe Blues have been ranked 14th for points scored and 13th for scores per inside 50 – rankings that stunned Riewoldt because of Carlton’s personnel up forward.
“Most arrogant performance!” | 03:02
“Their scoring has dried up, which is the last thing you’d expect to happen with this group when you consider who they’ve got in the front half,” he said.
“They’re just not scoring and their efficiency when they actually get it in there to (Charlie) Curnow and (Harry) McKay and these guys is just not at the level it was at the start of the season.”
Brown added: “They were off with their contest work and competitiveness. Disappointing on the weekend.”
ST KILDA
The Saints squeezed into the top eight on the weekend, surviving an almighty comeback from a fast-finishing Hawthorn to make it two wins on the trot.
But they just haven’t been the same team since their Round 13 bye, losing five of their past eight games.
And since their bye, the Saints are ranked 15th for both points differential from turnover and points differential from clearances.
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“They’ve got two areas here … They’re well aware of this and the way they move the footy would be another one,” Lyon said.
“They’re in the eight right now and they’ve got three games to go, so it’s their spot to lose.”
RICHMOND
After three close losses and a draw, the Tigers conjured a mighty close win on Sunday against the Lions to keep their final hopes alive. It was just their second win in six games.
Those past six weeks have seen a dip in Richmond’s off-ball ability. They’re ranked 17th for contested possession – an area not seen as a strength of the Tigers’ during their premiership dynasty – but 18th for pressure – a massive strength during their premiership era.
“The concern is without the footy,” Brown said. “We say ‘without the footy’ because the contested footy hasn’t been great, but it’s been their pressure, which has been 18th in the last six weeks.
“The reason that’s important for Richmond is they were highly ranked in the 2017 to 2020 season, so they need to be doing that well to be a contender.”
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WESTERN BULLDOGS
The Dogs felt the full brunt of a brutal Geelong team last weekend, blown away during a ruthless third term.
They now sit 10th on the ladder, meaning they must win at least two of their final three games against the Dockers, Giants and Hawks if they are to feature in September.
What would help their cause would be an improvement in defending all movement – an area in which they’re ranked 14th across the 2022 season.
“There are defensive concerns,” Riewoldt said.
“When you’ve got a back six that we’ve talked about being susceptible at times, you want to be able to defend ball movement and stop it actually getting in there – and that’s not the case at the moment.
“The ball’s going from one end of the ground to the other far too easily.”
COLLINGWOOD
Lyon said it was a “bit of a stretch” to find an improvement area for a Magpies team that’s won 10 consecutive games.
But Riewoldt said the Pies could sharpen up at the coalface, although he added: “The part of their game they have to improve is probably clearance – but you can win the ball without being great in that area.”
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.
Mark McVeigh’s brutally honest assessment that his players “checked out” in the 73-point Sydney derby loss could cost him the Giants’ senior coaching job, Fox Footy’s Nick Riewoldt has warned.
McVeigh did not hold back in his post-match criticism, as he labeled the performance “embarrassing” and “extremely disappointing”, while stating only eight players “went to the wall” for four quarters.
Speaking about McVeigh’s stunning statement, Riewoldt said he feared the comments could cost the caretaker coach the full-time gig in 2023.
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“I think it puts a line through it (his coaching aspirations at GWS),” he said on Best on Ground.
“If that’s the concession that you’re making as a coach, that you think some of your players have checked out and you are responsible for getting the players up every week, I think it becomes very difficult for the club to say: ‘You ‘re the man going forward’.”
McVeigh remains in the running for the full-time job next season, reportedly alongside four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson, Melbourne’s Adem Yze and Richmond’s Adam Kingsley.
Fellow panelist and former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said he admired McVeigh’s honesty.
“That’s the first time I’ve heard those comments,” he said.
“That’s as honest as you can get.
GWS Giants press conference | 10:43
“That comment… I love to see that because that is absolutely honest. If that’s his opinion of him, and you’ve got to take that at face value, it’s a real challenge.
The Giants were smashed in all the stats that mattered, down -117 in disposals, -33 in inside 50s and -24 in tackles – including laying just six inside 50 for the match.
Riewoldt said the result isn’t a direct reflection on McVeigh’s ability as a coach, but raised questions about his connection with the players.
“It doesn’t mean that he can’t coach. But the ability to get this group up … how can the Giants, if they think the players have checked out under his coaching, how can they have confidence to make that appointment?” Riewoldt said.
“I think it puts them in a really difficult position to go and appoint him after that.”
Buckley said he now wanted to see what sort of response the Giants players had in the clash with Essendon.
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“The next couple of weeks will be what tells you about Mark McVeigh’s bona fides as a coach and his connection with those players because they will respond to that? Because there’s always something to play for,” he said.
“The response is going to say more than the comment.”
Earlier this month, McVeigh confirmed he would enter the race to become the Giants coach for 2023 and beyond.
(The club hierarchy) have been very open with me and terrific, they’ve been amazing and they’ve supported me,” he said.
“There are other coaches that they’ll be talking to, which is absolutely right (to do), and I’m just another one of those that are trying to win the role.
“I certainly know where it sits and I’m very clear on the approach going forward.”
GWS will face Essendon, the Western Bulldogs and Fremantle in the final three rounds.
Magpies young gun Jack Ginnivan has revealed the intense commentary around his game has “definitely taken a toll on my mental health,” but says he has strong support around him.
Ginnivan was at the center of more debate from the football world after being involved in a contentious umpiring decision during his side’s 10th consecutive win over Port Adelaide on Saturday.
It put the 19-year old in the spotlight yet again, having made headlines all season for his polarizing approach and ability to draw free kicks.
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And Ginnivan admitted the heavy scrutiny has affected him in a brutally honest post-game interview.
“It’s definitely taken a toll on my mental health and all that stuff, but I’m here, happy, smiling, when you’re kicking goals and winning it’s beautiful, so (I) can’t complain,” Ginnivan told Fox Footy .
“I’ve got some strong leaders around me, Darcy Moore, Callum Brown is one of my best mates, he’s looking after me.
“My mum, my family are so amazing, they’re up here every week, so I can’t complain. ‘Fly’ (Craig McRae), he’s a beautiful human, I love him to bits and he’s looking after me day by day.”
The latest controversial umpire call on Ginnivan came midway through the second term of Collingwood’s narrow win over the Power at the MCG after the forward took possession of the ball inside forward 50.
Ginnivan then appeared to turn into a Robbie Gray tackle and get taken high, prompting the umpire to pin the Magpie for holding the ball.
Collingwood fans were vocal in letting their thoughts be known, booing loudly after the decision.
“Every time he’s tackled there’s a question among football fans,” Fox Footy commentator Mark Howard said.
Riewoldt: ‘It was the right decision’ | 00:43
It came after the AFL recently announced a crackdown of high contact interpretation for players who duck or shrug into a tackle, with umpires now instructed to pay holding the ball.
But just last week the league admitted Ginnivan should’ve been awarded a free kick for a tackle laid on him by Essendon’s Mason Redman, but said the Magpie was responsible for the high contact.
It prompted AFL legend Leigh Matthews to say he felt so “sick” and “disturbed” after watching Ginnivan not receive a free kick for the Redman tackle that he couldn’t sleep, declaring the “fabric of the game is being attacked” in passionate Pull on 3AW.
Although St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt said he believed the umpire made the right call in paying the free kick against Ginnivan during Saturday’s clash against Port.
It came amid a strong first half from Ginnivan, booting three goals, with Riewoldt praising the youngster for performing while under so much scrutiny.
“We’ve lost our minds over the last couple of weeks and this young man has been at the center of it,” Riewoldt said on Fox Footy at halftime.
“You’ve got to love the fact he comes out here on the biggest stage and with all the noise, all the talk, despite the fact he’s only a 19-year-old kid, he comes out this quarter and he absolutely lights it up.
Ginnivan gets caught by Gray (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“It’s just awesome to watch. I don’t think we’ve spoken about a 22-gamer as much as we have this guy and what has maybe gotten a lost a little bit in all of it is just how well he’s been playing.”
Former Magpies coach Nathan Buckley also thought the incident was well umpired.
“There was the one that wasn’t paid inside the forward 50 and he was a metre-and-a-half from the Port Adelaide defender and knew what he was going to do before he got there,” he said.
“There wasn’t any evasive action taken. I think that one was fair enough, as was the one on the wing.”
Triple M commentator Brian Taylor noted: “I think he’s been given life, Ginnivan! I don’t think he’ll receive a free kick again,” while others on social media were less than satisfied with the officiating of the play.
