Hardwick urges Collingwood to discourage youngster's staging habit (Nine)

[one-eyed]

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick urges Collingwood to discourage youngster's staging habit

By Chris De Silva
Nine
7 June 2022

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick has urged Collingwood to help young gun Jack Ginnivan avoid playing for free kicks, hitting back at suggestions that drawing free kicks is a "skill".

Hardwick's comments came in response to Magpies coach Craig McRae, who said he would seek clarification on how the 19-year-old was being officiated.

McRae took issue with suggestions from the media that Ginnivan exaggerated contact from opponents to get free kicks inside Collingwood's attacking 50, using Richmond's Dustin Martin and Geelong's Joel Selwood as examples of two players who are good at evading tackles.

"Is it within the rules? There's no rule against it at the minute," the coach said.

"Particularly when you're getting a ground ball and then taking on the tackle. Dusty does it with an arm, Joel Selwood has made a living out of it, I think it's smart play."

However, Martin's three-time premiership coach had a different view on matters.

"I think it's incumbent on coaches to teach the right technique to go about picking up the ball and protecting the head," Hardwick said.

"For me, I think we set the scene for lower leagues, for kids. The head is always important, don't get me wrong, but sometimes we've got to save the players from themselves."

https://wwos.nine.com.au/afl/jack-ginnivan-free-kick-drama-damien-hardwick-craig-mcrae-comments/6544bb98-148f-4edb-af64-63da23807169

[yandb]

So Mcrae is suggesting that Dusty is pushing the boundaries of the rules by fending off?

[Knighter]

Doesn't take long for good blokes to turn into stuffwits once they don the black and white.