JACK Ginnivan spent Easter Sunday playing in front of a few hundred people at GMHBA Stadium, instead of almost 90,000 people the following day in the traditional Easter Monday blockbuster between Hawthorn and Geelong at the MCG.

Spots were tight. Champion small forward Luke Breust was back in the team. Dylan Moore had just become an All-Australian half-forward. Nick Watson was a lock. And Connor Macdonald was a permanent fixture under Sam Mitchell. 

The 22-year-old knew it was the right decision at the right time. He kicked only two goals across the first five games and wasn't having an impact. He needed to go back and find confidence with Box Hill. 

And he did. 

After enduring a weekend of focus on his omission, Ginnivan drove down to Geelong and produced a performance in the VFL that reignited his season. It wasn't just the numbers, although they pop – 22 disposals and four goals – it was the buy-in. Everyone at Box Hill – players, coaches and officials – raved about the way he carried himself.  

"It actually gave myself confidence that I'm still a good player," Ginnivan told AFL.com.au after his return. "Sometimes you can forget that when you have a few down weeks. It's a hard game. The tables can turn really quick, and you think, 'Jeez, I can't play footy anymore'."

That two hours was all Mitchell needed to reward him with his spot back in Hawthorn's forward line. 

Since then, Ginnivan has evolved from a close-to-goal small forward to a gut-running high forward that has him in elite company. 

Along with Marcus Bontempelli, Ed Richards, Zac Bailey and Isaac Heeney, Ginnivan is one of only five players to average at least 20 disposals and a goal per game since he was recalled against West Coast in round seven.

Bontempelli, Richards, Bailey and Heeney were all included in the 2025 All-Australian team. 

Ginnivan has kicked multiple goals in eight of the 18 games since returning against West Coast in round seven and collected at least 20 disposals in 10 of those games, proving that he can run both ways between the arcs. 

Being dropped before helped Ginnivan. He knew the value of finding confidence in the twos.

It still stings and the public nature hurts, but it proved to be the making of the Bendigo Pioneers product's season, just like it was in 2023 when he spent two months in the VFL before becoming a premiership player at Collingwood.

"I feel like having that lived experience definitely helped for sure and having people in my corner. At Collingwood it was Tom Mitchell, now it's 'Gunners' [Jack Gunston] and 'Punky' [Luke Breust]," Ginnivan said on May 10. "Everyone goes through form slumps, but to come out the other side and to play positive, good football is really rewarding."

What can't be measured is Ginnivan's impact on the environment at Hawthorn. He has become crucial for synergy, connecting the group with supporters, one celebration at a time. 

Mitchell pointed this out after the 19-point win over Greater Western Sydney in last week's elimination final at Engie Stadium, where Ginnivan kicked three goals – two in the third quarter – and helped engage the travelling thousands in brown and gold to help neutralise an away venue.

"I'm really proud of his game," Mitchell told reporters after the match.

"You forget how young he is. He has had a little bit of finals experience and is a premiership player, obviously, but for him to start in a way that he wasn't that pleased with and then turn it around he kept a bit of momentum for us in that third quarter. I'm really proud of what he's producing. 

"I think if you look at the fans that came along – there were so many Hawks fans, there were a couple of bays that were just so rowdy – the players loved it and he is one of those people that gets the fans right behind him and behind us."

Ginnivan will lean into the theatre again in Adelaide on Friday night, like he has in two recent visits to South Australia. 

The kid from Castlemaine can expect doorstops at the airport when he arrives across the border. But Ginnivan arrives in the form of his career.