Writer’s note: For full disclosure, I am a Port Adelaide cheer squad member
Wow, what a game.
It might have been the most adrenaline-inducing game I’ve ever attended. A thrilling final that was an arm-wrestle back and forth, a multitude of Hawks fans made the trip down the freeway to lend their voice to the proceedings, and the Adelaide Oval (the best oval in the AFL, in my biased view) absolutely packed to witness two teams gave it their all.
For the third time ever, Port and Hawthorn were facing off in a final. For the third time ever, a team won by three points. However, for the first time, Port emerged winners.
I won’t bore you too much with the game details, as someone else was on game review duties at The Mongrel, but it was an instant classic worthy of the highest praise between two sides who knew it was win or go home.
But now to the situation. Post-game, Port coach Ken Hinkley got into it with Jack Ginnivan over the latter’s comments that he would be seeing Grundy in two weeks. Port Adelaide confirmed it was a comment stuck on the whiteboard at Alberton used inspired them. James Sicily decided to get involved and return serve on Hinkley, who gave it to him, as well.
So first off, I didn’t like when it happened. Luke Breust is a modern champion, as far removed from this stoush as he can be. That this occurred when he was being carted off for his 300th was regrettable and frankly not good on Hinkley’s behalf.
With that out the way, I have two words to say.
Come on.
Both to the completely ridiculous overreactions out there, and the AFL issuing a “please explain” about it all. Seriously?
Hawthorn fans reacting on social media like Hinkley is now the worst person in AFL history are likely the same ones happy for their team to give it out? Sam Mitchell, Luke Hodge and Jordan Lewis acting like it was a disgrace when they, themselves, aren’t exactly strangers to this controversy. They were the unsociable Hawks, after all. Now, they’re suddenly the untouchable media beyond reproach?
Mitchell has to be singled out. Essendon fans vividly remember his celebration in a win over them. And he never had a problem as a coach with his players being opinionated. Defending Ginnivan as a ‘young man’ is pretty pedestrian given that, while yes Ginnivan is much younger than Hinkley, he’s a 21-year-old who knows what consequences are. He knows his words could have inspired Port, and they did.
As a coach, you have to go into bat for your players, and I get that. To be fair, Mitchell didn’t go completely over the top in his presser either, but pick a better line of reasoning.
And actually I have to give Ginnivan credit here too. Of everyone in brown and gold trying to get on their pedestal, he was not one of them. He laughed and he took it on the chin. Fair play to him. I can’t blame Sicily either, as a skipper going in to bat for his guy. That’s what you want your captain to do, and he has every right to do so.
However, those trying to clamber onto the pedestal should get back down. Yes, Hinkley shouldn’t have done it, and he acknowledged he shouldn’t have done it. But don’t be the types who are ecstatic when your team dishes it out, and then cry when they can’t take it.
Personally, I have zero problems with guys like Jack Ginnivan and fellow forward Nick Watson when they rev up the opposition. It’s fun, it’s a refreshing change, and we need personality in the game. If they’re prepared to be the pantomime villains when they play your favourite team, then there’s absolutely zero wrong with that.
But don’t then paint someone as the worst person ever, who should know better, when they return serve. Perhaps Hinkley should know better, but you know what? He’s had his head on the chopping block all week, then Ginnivan did his social media thing, and it was a close and emotional final. You would crack, I would crack.
We won’t care about this next week, nor should we. It was a regrettable incident, but hardly something particularly awful other than it slightly overshadowed Luke Breust being carted off (and even then, he was still carried off to the applause of both the Hawthorn and Port Adelaide faithful).
Save the crocodile tears, save the internet hyperbole, save the hypocrisy if you were particularly opinionated members of a Hawthorn dynasty now in coaching/media, and bring on Sydney vs. Port Adelaide and Geelong vs. GWS/Brisbane next weekend.
Bring on more of the real stuff. Don’t get caught up watching the sideshow.
