Hawthorn Hawk star Jack Ginnivan has delivered the perfect response to another wave of social media outrage ahead of the AFL finals.

Last season, when the young star was playing for Collingwood, he was criticised for spending time at the Moonee Valley races before the finals, which the Magpies eventually won.

Like a Groundhog Day, Ginnivan was back in the spotlight ahead of the Hawks’ qualifying final against the Western Bulldogs at the MCG.

The 21-year-old was pictured at the London Tavern in Richmond, which again sparked hundreds of comments online from football fans who were divided on whether his behaviour was OK or not.

It was reported that the Hawks star was “on the water” and enjoying a meal while watching Geelong demolish Port Adelaide and had the blessing of coach Sam Mitchell. However, some fans were not convinced.

“That doesn’t look like water to me,” one fan wrote.

‘How about you take care of the sauce? It’ll be ready by tomorrow evening,’ added another.

“People need to get over it. This isn’t the Olympics or the Premier League. This kind of thing would happen in local football every week,” wrote another.

Ginnivan was spotted at the London Tavern in Richmond the night before the Hawks’ elimination final against the Bulldogs on Friday night

The Hawthorn star posted the photo just after 9pm in response to criticism of his appearance at the pub

However, Ginnivan had many defenders who said he did nothing wrong.

“Nothing wrong with a pre-match pub feed. Especially if the manager agrees,” said one fan.

“Looks like water to me. Definitely not beer,” another noted.

“Last time he took the field for a big game he won the championship – stick to the tried and tested method,” added another.

Ginnivan himself, however, was quick to deny any suggestions he had been drinking late at night, responding to a post by SEN’s Sam Edmund highlighting his actions in 2023 and this year.

He posted a photo that appeared to be at home. The photo showed a digital photo frame with a picture of his family, a candle, and two cups of what appeared to be tea.

The 21-year-old recruit will be a key part of the Hawks’ resurgence in the coming years.

Ginnivan took a swipe at his former club Collingwood when they clashed earlier this year

He added a “Zzz” emoji to the photo just after 9pm, responding to those who criticised him by showing that he was going to bed early to be ready for his final exam.

Although Ginnivan appeared to have committed no wrongdoing, AFL commentator and analyst Kane Cornes questioned why he was once again exposing himself to the media spotlight ahead of such an important match.

“This Jack Ginnivan thing fascinates me. I don’t know why he would put himself in that position and cause a distraction,” Cornes told SEN Breakfast.

“He’s got us talking about it now. Why he thinks it’s a good idea, after what happened before the Grand Final last year, to go to the pub.

“Well, he didn’t do anything wrong here. He’s out until 9pm, he’s home before half-time – but to get into that situation, what’s the risk and reward?

“He did nothing wrong. He even tweeted at Sammy Edmund last night. I think it’s just an unnecessary distraction.

“I can’t imagine anything worse than going to the pub before a game, but that’s me and the Hawthorn team do things differently and he does them differently.

“For me it’s just that we’re talking about it. There’s a picture in the Herald Sun. He looks like he’s drinking Pepsi Max. He clearly doesn’t. I don’t know what the point was of doing that, especially after what happened before the Grand Final last year.”