Collingwood insists it doesn’t have a widespread illicit substance issue, claiming Jack Ginnivan’s drug use was an “isolated incident” as more details emerge around how the club found out about the video footage.
The Magpies and AFL on Saturday night confirmed Ginnivan had been handed a two-match suspension after vision reportedly surfaced of the gun goalkicker with an illicit substance at a Torquay hotel.
The 20-year-old, who can’t play in Collingwood’s pre-season practice matches or at VFL level during his ban, also won’t receive match payments while sidelined, plus he faces the prospect of a $5000 suspended fine.
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Ginnivan was out with teammates and other friends following the club’s pre-season camp in January when he was filmed by a member of the public in a toilet cubicle with a white illicit substance on a key. Media reports suggested the substance was ketamine.
Magpies football boss Graham Wright on Sunday said the club was aware Ginnivan was “in possession of an illicit drug” but didn’t know or confirm what the substance was. He did tell reporters, though, it was Ginnivan’s first strike under the AFL’s illicit drugs policy.
Wright said the Magpies found out about Ginnivan’s actions on Thursday night through a media outlet as “there was someone trying to sell vision” of the star forward. The club, which doesn’t have possession of the footage, informed the AFL Integrity Unit, which interviewed Ginnivan and found him guilty of conduct unbecoming.
Wright said the club spoke to Ginnivan on Thursday night before the player confessed his drug use to the club’s leadership group on Friday afternoon, as well as coach Craig McRae and the AFL. A punishment was then determined, with Ginnivan apologising for “poor decision-making” via a club statement.
“I don’t think we’re ever happy to be in this situation obviously, but overall Jack owned it,” Wright told reporters on Sunday. “I questioned him about his behaviour and what had actually transpired and he owned it straight away and we’ve dealt with it since then.
“He’s incredibly remorseful about being in this situation. Overall, we’re hoping he learns from it and we don’t want to be here again.
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“He’ll train hard in that period (of suspension) and hopefully hit the ground running in Round 3.”
Wright said the Magpies, in consultation with the AFL, felt a suspension for Ginnivan was “warranted”. Asked if that was “just because it was made public”, Wright said: “That’s a good question. Maybe because it was made public, but also too we just don’t contain that behaviour. We maintain that as a club that we don’t condone illicit drug use and we support Jack, but in this case he’s made a mistake.”
Wright insisted there was no drug or culture problem at Collingwood.
“We continually educate our players all the time and our staff around the correct behaviours and around illicit drugs. They receive education from us, through the AFLPA – there’s no shortage of education for players,” he said.
“I think this is an isolated incident and that’s the way they’re treating it.
“It’s not a pattern of behaviour at all for him or anyone else at the club.”
Asked if drug use was, overall, a problem for the AFL, Wright said: “I hope that it wasn’t a major issue but players are part of society and drugs are part of society.
“We certainly hope our players don’t partake in illicit drugs, but I don’t think it’s a big issue in the competition and we certainly don’t think it is here.
“I think everyone in the general public should have their privacy protected. But as I said in this case, we’ve got an extra responsibility where these guys are AFL players, they are professional athletes and they understand their responsibility when they’re out that they’re filmed – hopefully not in a private situation – but we understand that’s part of it.”
