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Jack Ginnivan was ushered into Collingwood’s starting 22 ahead of this year’s AFL grand final but that spot may no longer be available with Lachie Schultz traded from Fremantle on Monday.
With the deal now confirmed, questions have been raised over where the premiership small forward now fits with Schultz dominant in that same position.
Speaking on AFL Trade Radio, former Adelaide and Geelong forward Josh Jenkins advised Ginnivan and his management to stick things out at Collingwood.
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“Jack wasn’t in the team for a lot of this season,” he said.
“He wasn’t in [Collingwood’s] best team for almost all of this season. He comes in, gets a few opportunities as a sub [in the qualifying and preliminary finals] and then gets an opportunity in the grand final. So again, it speaks to squad’s winning premierships, not the first 23 picked in round one.
“If I’m him or I’m advising him, I’m saying to him, ‘Go and get better, train harder, train faster, get stronger in the summer. You’re a premiership player, take the confidence that brings and go and fight for your spot and whatever happens in 12 months’ time, we’ll have a discussion then’.”
However, Jenkins did not rule out another club swooping in to take advantage of the situation.
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Former North Melbourne skipper Jack Ziebell also agreed that Ginnivan’s sole focus right now should be on having a big pre-season.
”Good teams have competition for spots and what Lachie Shultz brings is a bit of competition in the forward line,” he added.
Throughout the regular season, Ginnivan fell out of favour, playing 14 matches for Collingwood compared to 23 games in 2022.
However, an injury to fellow forward Taylor Adams opened a spot for the 20-year-old to play a role in the Magpies’ four-point premiership triumph over the Lions.
Jenkins also floated that Schultz’s arrival could push 31-year-old Jamie Elliott out of the side.
“I reckon his form just tapered in the back half of the year,” he said.
While both Shultz and Elliott play very different styles up front, Jenkins suspected that Collingwood may be preparing for Elliott’s retirement.
“There’s a good chance that in 18 months we’re looking at Shultz playing on the same side as Ginnivan and maybe Elliott has finished up,” he said.
“Collingwood have looked at it in terms of saying, ‘Let’s bring in another small in Lachie Shultz, he’s a great player. Jamie Elliott’s not going to be here forever’.”
Schultz booted a career-best 33 goals for Fremantle in 2023.
He was traded to the Magpies on Monday with the Dockers receiving pick 34 and a future first-rounder in return.
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