Jack Ginnivan’s run-in with the AFL’s illicit drugs policy has been labelled an “isolated incident” by Collingwood’s head of football Graham Wright.
Ginnivan admitted to taking an illicit drug after the club’s training camp in Lorne last month – resulting in an array of punishments from Collingwood and the AFL.
Ginnivan has been suspended for rounds one and two of the 2023 season and slapped with a $5000 suspended fine.
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Wright fronted the media on Sunday morning, stating no other Collingwood players were connected to the event.
“He was with some other players and they weren’t involved,” Wright said.
“He was with somebody else in the cubicle. He’s admitted to that.
“Our other players weren’t involved.”
On Saturday, 9News reported that vision passed onto the Pies and the AFL integrity nit showed Ginnivan alongside another man in a toilet cubicle at the Torquay Hotel on Australia Day.
The pair were in possession of a white illicit substance on a key, which was filmed by a member of the public and the vision later offered to media outlets.
Wright was unable to confirm which illicit substance Ginnivan was seen taking.
Last season the 20-year-old revealed that being at the centre of the AFL’s perpetual free kick furore had negatively impacted his mental health.
However, despite his mental health battles, Wright reiterated that Ginnivan had taken responsibility for his behaviour and shown remorse.
“Jack’s private issues around his mental health is something he brought up last year. In this case he’s said it has nothing to do with any of these actions in this regard,” he said.
“So he’s owned [his actions] from that point of view, but that’s ongoing, dealing with our psychologist and other medical people.”
During his suspension, Ginnivan will also be unable to contest Collingwood’s pre-season trials against Carlton and Hawthorn and is ineligible for VFL selection.
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“[Ginnivan’s] money isn’t guaranteed, so he actually has to play, so it’s a big fine for him overall, the $5000 suspended,” Wright said.
“But he also looses his match payments for those games and obviously forfeits his spot in the first few rounds and we’re not quite sure when he’ll get in, so its such a significant cost to him.”
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