Jack Gunston, Hawthorn premiership hero, Hawks, Brisbane Lions, trade request, rebuild, thanks but no thanks, Trading Day, analysis, latest news

Jack Gunston may not get his “fairytale” return to Hawthorn, with two-time premiership manager Roo David King warning a deal would only delay progress on the club’s rebuild.

Gunston has reportedly shocked Brisbane and the Hawks with his request to return to Waverley after just one season with the Lions.

But King believes the time for “empathy” is over at Hawthorn, given their ruthless intent last season to swap players like Jaeger O’Meara and Tom Mitchell to allow youngsters to move on.

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“They just moved him for that exact reason,” King said of Gunston’s late 2022 move.

“Those guys (O’Meara, Gunston, Mitchell), if they were there, would play 12, 15, 18 games a year and hold back the Newcombes and Days who are at the forefront of this rebuild right now.

“I think someone needs to sit down with Jack Gunston… he doesn’t want to go to a rebuilding club because there’s no point investing the games in Jack rather than the kids.

“It’s not quite there in Brisbane – what’s left?” You’ve accomplished everything in the game: multiple top players. You’ve been the best and fairest player, you’ve been all-Australian. Does he absolutely have to play football next year? I’m a little lost with this.

“It’s not a financial issue that I don’t think about with Jack. It doesn’t thrill him.

“The Hawthorns we know don’t work that way with empathy. They are hard and fast; it’s about winning premierships.

“Unfortunately for Jack, that moment is over.”

Journalist Jon Ralph said he expected a deal for Gunston to be around the $500,000 mark and confirmed the forward had no interest in returning to play in Victoria other than was in Hawthorn.

“32 today, recurring back problem, finals knee problem… is there any chance Hawthorn will just say ‘Jack, we love you, three-time premiership player – thanks but no thanks?’ ” Ralph asked.

“If he’s on the Hawthorn list, if he comes back next year, the pressure on (coach) Sam Mitchell to play the triple premiership hero is extreme compared to a young kid in Brandon Ryan.

“I would say, ‘Sam plays the kids as well as the experienced player of Mabior Chol and Mitch Lewis.’

“Sometimes you just can’t get what you want from a fairy tale comeback. »

Ralph also questioned reports that Brisbane and Hawthorn were “shocked” by Gunston’s attempt to return to the Hawks.

“He’s so close to Sam Mitchell – how could he not have a single conversation with Sam Mitchell to tell him what you think?”

“If you are considering leaving your club, you will probably need to sort out your new destination beforehand,” Trading day added panelist Nick Dal Santo.

“If they were to take it back, I think you could justify it by saying it’s from a leadership standpoint.

But I don’t understand why he would say to the Brisbane Lions, ‘I’m trying to get back to the Hawks,‘ without actually telling the Hawks, ‘I’m coming and can I get through the front door again?’ .