Bombers great Matthew Lloyd believes umpires “don’t know what to do” with Jack Ginnivan as debate rages around the Collingwood forward’s attempts to draw free kicks.
Lloyd said Ginnivan regularly makes dropping movements similar to the Joel Selwood shrug, and umpires aren’t sure how to police the tackles in question.
One of the Magpies’ first goals in their come-from-behind win against North Melbourne came off the back of umpires awarding Ginnivan a free from a high tackle from Roo Jaidyn Stephenson.
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But another apparent high tackle from Luke Davies-Uniacke in the third term went unpunished. North Melbourne’s Lachie Young remonstrated with umpires to signal no free should be awarded, before Ginnivan was pinged holding the ball.
A final example, in the fourth quarter, Ginnivan was paid a free from a high off Aidan Corr.
Speaking on Wide World of Sports’ Sunday Footy Show, Lloyd said umpires were aware of Ginnivan’s tactics.
“I think they don’t know what to do – they realise it’s like the Selwood shrug in a sense – they know what he’s doing every time, but the umpires don’t know what to do. Should we or shouldn’t we pay it,” Lloyd said.
Senior AFL journalist Damian Barrett said that meant officials would be umpiring Ginnivan differently to everyone else on the park.
“You can’t have a situation though where one player is being umpired differently to every other player – they’re all free kicks,” he said.
Barrett agreed that inconsistencies stemmed from different umpires interpreting contact differently.
“You can see the North Melbourne players remonstrating too, trying to remind the umpires ‘hey this is what this guy does’.
“The umpires know that, they’ve been briefed on it as well.”
AFL games record-holder Brent Harvey said the umpires had a tough job.
“(Ginnivan) drops at the knees and then he lifts the shoulder … they’re all high, but it’s it’s a tough one.”
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