Ginnivan fueled the fiery atmosphere leading up to the clash by commenting “see you in 14 days” on a former teammate Brodie Grundy’s Instagram post, a remark that Port Adelaide took as disrespectful.

After Port secured a dramatic three-point victory, emotions ran high, with veteran coach Ken Hinkley taunting Ginnivan before engaging in a heated verbal exchange with Hawks captain James Sicily. Hinkley was later fined $20,000 for his involvement in the altercation, while Sicily reportedly criticized Port Adelaide, calling them a “nowhere club for eight years.”

Ginnivan has since expressed regret over his social media comment in private discussions with club leaders and, speaking publicly for the first time since Hawthorn’s finals exit, admitted he needs to be “smarter” moving forward

“Upon reflection, it probably wasn’t the smartest idea, but the leaders and coaches had my full support and they backed me in,” he told 7NEWS chief AFL reporter Mitch Cleary.

“Yeah I just got to grow up I guess and be a bit smarter.”

Ginnivan played a key role in Hawthorn’s success this season, with the former Collingwood premiership player bringing energy and enthusiasm that helped inspire the young team. However, he also attracted some negative attention.

The night before Hawthorn’s elimination final victory over the Western Bulldogs, Ginnivan was spotted having dinner with friends at a Richmond pub. There was also a notable incident involving a social media post.

His actions echoed comments from his former coach, Craig McRae, following Collingwood’s grand final win over Brisbane last year. Ginnivan had an unconventional lead-up to the match, with 7NEWS reporter Mitch Cleary revealing that the 20-year-old attended the Moonee Valley races the night before the big game.

When asked if he was pleased with Ginnivan’s choice to go to the races, McRae responded, “Read the room, Jack. You’ve got to grow up, but you need to make mistakes to learn.”

Earlier in 2023, Ginnivan missed the first two games due to a club-imposed suspension for taking illicit drugs, and just three weeks after winning the premiership with Collingwood, he was traded to Hawthorn.

Now, Ginnivan is preparing for his first Brownlow Medal night and is expected to stand out in a white jacket. “Sammy from Sam & Ko took care of the white look. I didn’t have much input, but he wanted to try something different, and I’m always up for that. Hopefully, it turns out alright,” Ginnivan said.

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