AFL 2020: President unloads and Hawk forward says players aren’t on the same page.
After a third straight loss on Sunday premiership forward Jack Gunston says his teammates were leaving each other “out to dry”.
Hawthorn
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Hawthorn premiership forward Jack Gunston has made a damning summation of his team’s poor form claiming they are struggling with connection and leaving each other “out to dry”.
And Hawks President Jeff Kennett aimed both barrels at the players on Monday labelling their recent efforts the “most disappointing in years”.
Gunston has been one of the few players able to perform in the run of three straight losses which has turned the blowtorch on four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson.
Sunday’s 43-loss to Melbourne came after five-goal defeats by Collingwood and GWS giving the Hawks just three wins from seven games this season ahead of clash with Sydney at the SCG on Sunday.
Gunston, who kicked three of his team’s seven goals, and has kicked seven goals in the three losses, said the Hawks were working hard, and even had three training sessions in between the loss to the Magpies and Sunday’s defeat.
But he conceded there was a disconnect between the playing group during matches, which had to be addressed.
“We are leaking too many goals, we can’t hold it inside our forward 50 at the moment and we are leaving, at times, different lines out to dry,” Gunston said.
“We’ve got to make sure we stay on the same page and get through it together.
“It was disappointing on all fronts. After that we are all hurting a little bit.”
"We expect better from the 22 guys we put out there."
— Hawthorn FC (@HawthornFC) July 20, 2020
Hear from a candid Jack Gunston post-match. pic.twitter.com/nOJ4fYEIiY
In a letter to members on Monday, Kennett said the Hawks had been “left floundering” by both Melbourne and Collingwood.
“The last three weeks have delivered the most disappointing displays by our boys that I have witnessed in years,” Kennett said.
“We have been comprehensively outplayed. The desire and skills shown by the three teams we have recently played in GWS, Collingwood, and Melbourne last night, left us floundering.”
Gunston said hard work was the only way out of the rut, and also said he was “optimistic” what the playing group at Hawthorn could achieve, amid calls for the Hawks to go to the draft and rebuild.
“We expect better from our 22 guys we put out there,” he said.
“But we’re working on things … we had three training sessions this week. We have to lick our wounds and keep working, it’s not going to happen otherwise.
“Our last three weeks haven’t been up to scratch. But I’m very optimistic of this group that it will turn and I’m looking forward to the path ahead.
“Hopefully a win is closer than we think.”
The pressure is on Clarkson after Hawks president Jeff Kennett said on Sunday his club was likely to part ways with the master coach when his contract expires at the end of 2022.
Originally published as AFL 2020: President unloads and Hawk forward says players aren’t on the same page.