AFL: Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson shuts down trade talk around premiership stars

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson has shut down trade talk around a couple of premiership stars as he railed against silly season “rubbish”.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson refused to give any “oxygen” to speculation around the futures of premiership pair Jack Gunston and Luke Breust, declaring it “silly season rubbish”.

The Hawks have some significant list management decisions to come after failing to make the finals this year with captain Ben Stratton and Paul Puopolo already retiring.

Talk has emerged that star forwards Breust and Gunston could attract good trade value for the Hawks, who can’t carry them and veterans like James Frawley, Ricky Henderson and Isaac Smith into 2021.

Shaun Burgoyne has already been guaranteed a 20th season, but Clarkson said the Hawks were not in any position to make any more decisions about who would stay and who would go.

“We’re in the same position as every season. The silly season becomes a circus for the next eight to 10 weeks in terms of who’s leaving and who’s going where, and by and large one in 20 players or one in 30 players actually give consideration to leaving a club.

“However many transpire is even less than that. All the innuendo and speculation comes up, of which 95 per cent is rubbish.

“The best way to respond is to not give it oxygen. Even the emotional state we are all in right at the present time it’s not a good time to be making decisions on any of that sort of stuff.

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Clarkson said discussions with Frawley, Henderson and Smith about their futures were “ongoing”, and all decisions would be made after a full review of the season following Sunday’s final game against the Gold Coast.

“That will be revealed in the fullness of time, there has been no finality in discussions,” he said.

“It might become more pressing in the next four or five weeks, but right at the present time we want to be mindful of how many more senior guys go out of the club in one hit.

“Our way of doing things, and there’s no right way or wrong way, is always to wait until the end of the season, get all the information available.

“You’re asking questions as if we are six weeks after the season. I haven’t given any thought to the draft, nor trading, nor delistings or anything like that. Anything I say now is purely adding to the speculation.”