Gunston tells Hawthorn he will go to Lions as free agent

Hawthorn’s triple premiership player Jack Gunston has told the Hawks he will move to the Brisbane Lions as a free agent this off season.

Gunston had a two-year offer to remain at the Hawks but has chosen to exercise his rights as an unrestricted free agent to move to the Lions to finish his career chasing another flag.

Gunston will follow the path of premiership teammates Luke Hodge and Grant Birchall in moving from Hawthorn to Brisbane for their final years.

Jack Gunston.Credit: Getty Images

Gunston said at a media event on Tuesday any decision on a move to Brisbane was not affected by the uncertainty over the future of coach Chris Fagan who has stood down from the club while the AFL investigates the allegations made in a Hawthorn review of Indigenous players

Hawthorn are unlikely to get a pick as compensation for losing Gunston as they will bring in a free agent of their own, Karl Amon from Port.

Free agency compensation is decided on the net ins and outs of free agents at clubs each year.

Amon coming in cancels the pick Hawthorn would have received from Gunston leaving, unless either club has an incentive to trade for players instead of having them move as free agents.

Gunston will be a replacement for Daniel McStay in the Brisbane forward line as McStay will leave Brisbane as a free agent to Collingwood.

Hawthorn gave their best wishes to 30-year-old Gunston.

“Today Jack informed us, after considerable thought, that he would exercise his right as a free agent to explore the market, and we respect that completely,” the club’s head of football Rob McCartney said in a statement.

“Jack has been an incredible servant during his 11 seasons here at Hawthorn. He leaves the club as a three-time premiership player and a best and fairest winner, but more importantly, a person who is genuinely respected and loved by his teammates, staff and our Hawthorn fans.”

Like Hawthorn, Brisbane won’t get a compensation pick for losing McStay because that compensation will be cancelled out by Gunston coming in.

Collingwood will get McStay for nothing as a free agent, unless they were to lose their own free agent Jordan De Goey who is still in a stand-off with the club over the terms of a new five-year contract.

While De Goey could yet stay at the Magpies, were he to leave Collingwood they would also face the prospect of losing De Goey for nothing as the compensation pick would be cancelled out by McStay coming in.

In that scenario Collingwood and Brisbane would both have an incentive to do a trade for McStay to Collingwood, as the Magpies would not cancel out their compensation pick on De Goey and Brisbane would at least get something for losing McStay instead of getting nothing for him going as a free agent.

Hawthorn could also yet trade Brownlow medallist midfielder Tom Mitchell whom Collingwood have some interest in.

The Magpies would only be interested in Mitchell if Brodie Grundy were to be traded to Melbourne and salary cap space opened up. Hawthorn would be prepared to pay more than $200,000 of Mitchell’s salary and look for a second round pick in any deal.

Even then Collingwood are exploring several players including Brayden Fiorini from the Gold Coast Suns. Fiorini would be a salary dump for the Suns, so he would be likely to move for a very late pick as long as Collingwood took on his contract.

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