Hawthorn champion Jason Dunstall has taken a dig back at a pair of Brownlow Medallists after they were part of a conversation that took a cheeky jab at him during the week.
It all started with Carlton captain Patrick Cripps kicking the winning goal for his team against Geelong last Friday night, after taking a big mark 25m out directly in front of goal.
Patrick Cripps was mobbed by teammates after slotting the match-winning goal. Getty Images
Instead of kicking a drop punt, Cripps snapped the ball around the corner to put the Blues in front.
A few days later, he explained his reasoning for not going for a traditional set shot with the game on the line.
Cripps, speaking with Hawthorn star Jack Ginnivan and retired 2018 Brownlow Medallist Tom Mitchell, said going around the corner was easier.
“That spot on the ground, I always practice that spot at training. I feel like there are certain areas inside 50 where I know what kick I do,” Cripps told the Ball Magnets podcast.
“I was always gonna snap it. I love the snap.”
To which Ginnivan replied: “(The snap) is so much easier.”
Mitchell added: “There’s more surface area of the ball. Like, old timers would say ‘why would you kick a snap’, but it does feel more comfortable for most players.”
While Mitchell was giving his thoughts, Ginnivan cheekily tossed Dunstall’s name up among the ‘old timers’ who would have been displeased with Cripps’ choice.
Dunstall, a Legend in the Australian football Hall of Fame, kicked 1254 career goals for Hawthorn, and sits third in V/AFL history behind Tony Lockett and Gordon Coventry.
Jason Dunstall elevated to Legend status in the Hall of Fame in 2025. Getty
He has had a running gag for many years where he ‘angrily’ calls out players for snapping or dribbling missed shots for goal when a drop punt would have been better.
“I always think if you look at soccer, they kick a round ball, but they always draw it to a curve. I reckon if you snap it, you take away missing to the right, unless you (hit the belly of the ball), but I just think there’s less room for error than a drop punt if you practice it enough,” Cripps added.
“As long as you’ve got a routine with it. I’ve got a routine with my snaps. Big Harry McKay came up to me and said ‘make sure you snap it’, but I always already that locked in and was snapping it.”
Responding on Friday evening, ‘Chief’ Dunstall was not copping goal kicking advice from three players with a combined 344 career goals.
“I’ve got no problem with it. I’m happy to get lectured by three blokes that have got 11 goals between them, that is absolutely fine,” Dunstall told Triple M, tongue in cheek.
Jack Ginnivan celebrates a goal with teammate Connor Macdonald. Getty
“Let’s be perfectly honest here … there are a couple of things when you listen to that podcast. First and foremost, I don’t care how you kick it. I genuinely don’t. As long as you’ve practiced it and you kick the goal. That’s the only thing that matters.
“Couple of things I disagreed with listening to it. Cripps says he’s taking the miss to the right out of it by kicking around the corner … unless you belly the ball … so you can miss right. So you haven’t actually taken that out.
“If you’re thinking about that, and kicking the ball closer to the end, that means you’re bringing in missing it left by overcorrecting it.
“They say there’s a greater margin for error (snapping it). It all comes back to what you do consistently at training. What are you most confident kicking. It’s your responsibility to kick the goal, so kick the goal.
“The other thing I found amusing was he said ‘Harry McKay came up to me and said kick it around the corner’. If you’re taking advice from ‘Big H’ about kicking a critical goal, you may have a problem,” Dunstall joked.
“I’m just glad they’re still remembering the old fella.”
Brownlow Medallist Tom Mitchell. AFL Photos via Getty Images
Mitchell, 33, was delisted by Collingwood at the end of 2025, calling time on his storied career.
He and Cripps have combined for three Brownlow Medals, while Ginnivan has played 102 career games for Hawthorn and Collingwood, featuring in the 2023 premiership side alongside Mitchell.
