Ginni’s cheeky Port prelim sledge as AFL fixture quirk gives Hawks ‘massive upside’

Hawthorn star Jack Ginnivan is more than ready for a preliminary final, giving Port Adelaide a sneaky sledge via a social media comment.

The engimatic forward commented on a post by Sydney star Brodie Grundy which was celebrating the Swans’ qualifying final win over the Giants.

Ginnivan wrote: “see u in 14 days”.

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It suggests the Hawk is confident his side will get past the Power and earn the shot at the Swans in two weeks’ time.

Below story via Ed Bourke, NCA Newswire

Meanwhile Hawthorn midfielder James Worpel says making three previous trips to Adelaide in an unusual 2024 fixture has come with a “massive upside” ahead of Friday night’s semi-final.

Worpel said the Hawks felt comfortable on the Adelaide Oval surface in front of a hostile crowd after close losses to Collingwood and Port Adelaide before a thumping win over Adelaide in round 20.

The Gather Round trip to face the Magpies and two away games meant the Adelaide Oval was Hawthorn’s equal-third most visited venue with Marvel Stadium behind the MCG (10 games) and UTAS Stadium (four).

“Definitely (we feel familiar), I think that’s the massive upside of playing so many games there this year,” Worpel said.

“This will be our fourth, so we definitely know what’s coming.

“I think the ground is a little bit skinnier (than the MCG), but it’s an amazing surface and amazing atmosphere, and we’re excited to get back over there.”

Worpel, who won Hawthorn’s best and fairest with a brilliant second season in 2019, took time to adjust on-field when coach Sam Mitchell took the reins from Alastair Clarkson.

He was shuffled between midfield and half-forward roles at the start of 2022 and endured a low point when he managed only five disposals in a heavy loss to St Kilda at the MCG, before he was eventually dropped to the VFL where a shoulder injury ended his season.

Worpel was unwilling to go into detail about his difficult season, from which he re-emerged as the only surviving midfield member along with Jai Newcombe.

The 25-year-old is one of only four Hawks (Conor Nash, Blake Hardwick and Dylan Moore are the others) to have played every game since round 1, 2023.

“(In 2022) I just think I wasn’t playing my best footy. Some other players were playing some really good footy and went past me … that’s just life sometimes, you go back to the twos and play,” he said.

“And unfortunately I got injured, and it’s just a bit of a write-off of the year. I’m sure the majority of players have that throughout their career, and mine just came a couple of years ago.”

Worpel said Mitchell’s bold call to trade fellow on-ballers Tom Mitchell and Jaeger O’Meara at the end of 2022 had paid off by creating room for Nash and Will Day.

“I think Nashy is definitely one who has benefited from those moves,” he said.

“Will Day as well, he would never have been in there if Jaeger and Tom were playing, so it’s amazing to see how a few changes in your starting 18 changes things.”

Port Adelaide star Zak Butters remained under an injury cloud with sore ribs, but Worpel said the Hawks midfield would plan carefully for him after he ignited the Power’s extraordinary comeback from 41 points down in round 10.

“Yeah, he had an amazing last quarter (17 disposals and five clearances) … but there’s so many players in that midfield who you have to stop,’ Worpel said.

“I think Horne-Francis is having a great year, Butters, Rozee when he gets up and going … I’m sure we’ll have a plan if any of them start to get off the chain, we’ll just go in with our own plan though and see what happens.”