Sam Mitchell’s comments seven months ago ring loudly in people’s minds after Jack Gunston’s request to return to Hawthorn.
“The one player we really wanted to keep – and we understand why he left and we’ve been very open in dialogue with him – Jack Gunston, he’s the one we really miss,” Mitchell said on Channel’s Footy Classified Nine in March.
“Our offensive line, we’re not able to score as well as we would like at the moment. He’s the one we really miss.
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After 17 senior games for the Lions in 2023, Gunston fell out of favor at the senior level, with injury not helping his cause.
Neither did the tag team combination of Joe Daniher and Eric Hipwood, who scored a combined 102 goals during the team’s sophomore campaign.
The Lions confirmed Gunston’s request Friday, but noted he had been signed for another season and said they would “review their options.”
This is a relatively unprecedented move, with many members of the Lions unaware of Gunston’s intentions until the news surfaced Friday morning.
Hawthorn has only recently become aware of Gunston’s desire to return to the club and is focused on the planned acquisitions of Mabior Chol and Massimo D’Ambrosio, as well as the impending departures of Tyler Brockman and Jacob Koschitzke.
As foxfooty.com.au reports, the Hawks only recently learned of Gunston’s desire to return to the club.
The Lions would ideally like to retain Gunston for depth, given that he would prove to be the perfect replacement for Daniher or Hipwood should they suffer an injury or need to rest throughout the 2024 season.
Still, they re-signed Darcy Fort and they’ve done a good job in cap space to the point where they can afford to let Gunston go.
Some believe Gunston has struggled to adapt to the Brisbane lifestyle and the club’s game plan, which is markedly different to the one he thrived in under Alastair Clarkson and Sam Mitchell.
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Last year, the Gunston trade was obtained in exchange for the No. 48 pick and a future fourth-rounder.
With Chol set to land at the club and opt for a foil for Mitch Lewis, the Hawks must first decide if they have room to welcome Gunston back into the fold.
By taking Gunston on, it would also likely be recognition from the veteran he could find himself out of the senior team more often than not.
“I think if he had half a dozen games he would be fine,” Ben Dixon told foxfooty.com.au.
“But you can’t predict that you will have your best 22 players every week.
“It just adds value.” Mitch sits in a box with his coaches, but to have that leadership on the field is incredible.
“It’s quite surprising that he wants to come back after a year in Brisbane.”
Then they would have to figure out how to make a deal.
They hold picks 4, 32 and 53 in this year’s draft, as well as a selection of future picks.
If the Lions decide to accept Gunston’s decision, a late pick would likely suffice given Gunston has failed to prove a crucial aspect of the team’s premiership campaign.
A lot can change in a year, but Mitchell’s words resonate loudly.
“He’s a friend, he’s a teammate of the Prime Minister. We spent a lot of time together for a long time,” Mitchell said in March.
“I was just very supportive of the decision he made, but I was telling him we were desperate to keep him.
“He knew from the start that he was a player we absolutely wanted at our football club and unfortunately, for all his personal reasons, we respected the decision that going north was the right thing for him.”
