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Collingwood star Jack Ginnivan cops two game BAN as Magpie gun ADMITS to using ‘illicit drugs’ after being filmed in a toilet cubicle with a white substance on Australia Day
- Jack Ginnivan suspended for the first two games of the AFL season
- The Magpies midfielder was filmed using an illicit substance in a bathroom last month
- Collingwood said they are “extremely disappointed” by the incident.
Collingwood’s young gun Jack Ginnivan has been banned for the first two rounds of the AFL season after admitting he used an illicit substance.
The 20-year-old’s confession came after video surfaced of him and another man in a bathroom stall on Australia Day with an illicit white substance in a faucet.
The incident occurred while Ginnivan was in Torquay in January, following the Magpies’ pre-season training camp.
The AFL’s integrity unit interviewed Ginnivan as part of its investigation and found the player guilty of improper conduct.
“I want to take ownership of my actions in the vision that shows me with an illicit substance,” Ginnivan said in a statement from Collingwood on Saturday.
Jack Ginnivan admitted to 7News that he took an illicit substance in a hotel last month
As a result, Ginnivan has been banned for the first two rounds of the 2023 AFL season.
The 20-year-old admitted to letting his club and teammates down after being caught on camera.
“I understand that as an AFL player I have standards that I have to meet and on this occasion I have not met the standards that are expected of me as a footballer and as a representative of Collingwood.”
Speaking to 7News, the Magpies star admitted to taking an “illicit substance” during a day off from training camp.
“I went into the cubicle and obviously took an illicit substance,” he said.
‘Obviously a few drinks, a lack of judgment at the time. I can’t really speak to why I did it.
“When I went into the bathroom, I didn’t think someone would be filming me.”
Ginnivan scored 40 goals during the Magpies’ surprising rise to a preliminary final last season in the first year under coach Craig McRae.
The Livewire striker is banned from playing current leaders Geelong and Port Adelaide in the first two rounds of the season and will not be eligible to play in any of Collingwood’s scheduled practice matches.
Ginnivan apologized for his actions.
“I’ve made mistakes along the way and I’m determined to learn from them to be the best person and footballer that I can be to avoid letting people down, which is what I’ve done here,” Ginnivan said.
Ginnivan has often been in the spotlight since his debut in 2021 and won the Anzac Day Medal in a great five-goal performance against Essendon last year.
He has often been criticized for trying to take free kicks and admitted last year that the fierce scrutiny over his approach to the game had taken a toll on his mental health.
Ginnivan kicked 40 goals during the Magpies’ impressive rise to a preliminary final last season
The young gun established himself as one of the best players in the competition last year, but also drew a lot of criticism for a series of incidents off the pitch.
The Magpies’ head of football, Graham Wright, acknowledged that the club was “incredibly disappointed” by the incident.
“As a club, we are incredibly disappointed to have seen a vision showing Jack Ginnivan using an illicit substance,” he said.
The vision was captured by a member of the public after the club’s pre-season camp in January and circulated to the media in recent days.
“All players and staff receive ongoing education on appropriate behavior and we expect everyone at our club to uphold the highest standards as representatives of the wider Collingwood community, our members, supporters and corporate partners.