HAWTHORN coach Sam Mitchell had no issue with Jack Ginnivan's pre-game routine on Thursday night and was thrilled with the small forward's impact in the 37-point elimination final win over the Western Bulldogs at the MCG.
The 21-year-old almost broke the internet in the 24 hours leading into the Hawks' first final since 2018 after an image circulated on social media of Ginnivan out for dinner at the London Tavern in Richmond, 12 months after he went to the races the night before the Grand Final.
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Ginnivan, like the Gen Z group of Hawks, is built differently, and it works. Hawthorn has recovered from 0-5 to be off to South Australia to face Port Adelaide in next weekend's semi-final, after winning 15 of its past 19 games.
The premiership Magpie didn't waste the chance to make a point that it was a storm in a teacup, marking his fourth-quarter goal with a new celebration that mimed cracking open a drink and pouring it over his head.
"There will be a lot of focus on his celebrations and where he has dinner and all those things, but we are very focused on what he does on the field," Mitchell told reporters after the win on Friday night.
"We know he plays, we know how he celebrates, we know how he goes about it. I don't think there are any surprises with the way Jack goes about it.
"I thought he was enormously influential in the second quarter when he got up a bit higher. I thought he was a big part in getting the game back on our terms. If you look at his game impact in the second quarter, I thought he was one that really led the turning point.
"I didn't ask, I probably should have, but I wonder how many of our players went out for dinner to a public place last night? I would guess maybe half. You know what, I think most of us have watched Thursday night or Friday night footy at a public venue for the majority of the year. He played well, he lives how he lives. I knew about it, so as long as he went home around the half-time mark, I was going to be pretty happy. It's no issue from me at all."
Hawthorn had 62 games of finals experience compared to 130 for Western Bulldogs, but it was the youth of the Hawks that upstaged a side stacked full of experienced All-Australians.
The Hawks weren't overawed when 92,311 crammed into the MCG for Dustin Martin's 300th game in round 14. They thrived a month later against the reigning premier in front of 74,171 on a Sunday in July and then disposed of Carlton with 84,773 in the building in round 22.
With an elimination final record crowd of 97,828 turning up on Friday night, teenage forwards Nick Watson (four goals) and Calsher Dear (three goals) handled the big stage and played a key role in progressing to the second week of September.
"I wonder if it's the naiveté of youth. I wonder if they just don't know it's a big deal, they don't know any different. They are just enjoying their footy and playing with a high amount of energy," Mitchell said.
"You'll look at the scoreboard and the goals they kicked, but I felt 'Wiz' was a little bit off early but then he had a couple of chases, got a fingernail on someone, it won't be the goals it will be the chasing. That was when we looked on song."
Mitchell lauded the impact of Lloyd Meek, who dominated 2023 All-Australian ruckman Tim English in a defining match-up, after starting the season at Box Hill behind Ned Reeves in the queue.
"'Meeky' is another one with a good story. He didn't start in the team. He started playing at Box Hill in the early phase of the year. The new ruck rule has helped him. He is big and strong and that's his strength," he said.
"He is a guy from a work ethic point of view where no one would outwork 'Meeky' anywhere. I think he played his 50th the other week seven years in and he has earned every one of his 50. He is not a guy like an early draft pick, he has earned every one of those games. Now when you put his magnet up, you have a lot of confidence."
Star midfielder Will Day is no guarantee to be available for next weekend's semi-final against the Power after missing a second game due to the complex collarbone injury he suffered in the round 23 win over Richmond.
Mitchell was keen to remove the distraction almost a week out from the elimination final and is expected to make a call early next week, with the club hopeful the reigning Peter Crimmins medallist will be on the plane.
"[Day's availability is] unknown [at this stage]," he said. "He is running but not doing any contact at this stage. We'll talk to the medical guys. Obviously he was pleased that we won because it gives him a chance, doesn't it? We will wait and see."
