Jack Gunston

Jack Gunston
Personal information
Full name Jack Gunston
Date of birth (1991-10-16) 16 October 1991
Original team(s) Sandringham Dragons (TAC Cup)
Draft No. 29, 2009 National Draft, Adelaide
Height / weight 191cm / 81kg
Position(s) Forward
Club information
Current club Hawthorn
Number 19
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2010–2011
2012–
Total		 Adelaide
Hawthorn		 014 0(20)
113 (251)
127 (271)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2016.
Career highlights

Jack Gunston (born 16 October 1991) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Gunston plays as a forward and is one of the most accurate kicks for goal from a set shot in the AFL.

Early life

Gunston was raised in Melbourne and attended Haileybury College, playing school football alongside three other future AFL players (Tom Scully, Jack Hutchins, and Tom Lynch).[1] His father, Ray Gunston, played VFA football for Brunswick, and later moved into sports administration.[2] Gunston began his junior career with the Beaumaris Football Club. He originally played mainly as a midfielder, but after growing 15 centimetres (5.9 in) in two years he began to play more in key positions.[3] In 2009, the year he became eligible for the AFL Draft, Gunston was selected for the Sandringham Dragons, a TAC Cup team. Early in the season, he dislocated his elbow in a practice game, an injury which took eight weeks to heal. Gunston played for the Dragons in only their last six matches, but was nonetheless a second-round pick in the 2009 AFL National Draft, taken by Adelaide with the 29th pick overall.[4]

AFL career

Adelaide

Gunston made his AFL debut against the Brisbane Lions in round nine of the 2010 AFL season. In a promising debut Gunston collected seven disposals and kicked a vital goal in the final quarter.[5] He played one more game in round 18 against Richmond collecting nine disposals. He finished the year on the wing with Central District's 2010 premiership side.[6]

In 2011 he played 12 games, kicking five goals against Richmond in round 23.

After two years in Adelaide, Gunston became homesick and sought to return to Victoria. He had been awarded the Mark Bickley Award as the club's best young player, but he was stripped of the title after announcing his intention to leave.[7]

Hawthorn

He was traded to Hawthorn in a deal that saw three draft picks (pick 24, 46 & 64) given to Adelaide and two picks returned (pick 53 and 71).[8]

In his first season at Hawthorn he played 19 games, including the 2012 Grand Final, and followed up in 2013 with 23 games.

Gunston played in the 2013 Grand Final against Fremantle, and was one of the best on ground, kicking 4 goals to be the leading goal scorer in the match and finished second in the Norm Smith Medal count to team mate Brian Lake. Gunston played an important role as key forward in 2014, finishing with a career high 58 goals for the season, and earned his second premiership as part of the Hawthorn team that defeated the Sydney Swans in 2014. In 2015 Gunston won Hawthorn's goalkicking and also played in their 2015 premiership victory. He injured his knee in the Qualifying Final against West Coast Eagles but returned in the Grand Final to kick 4 goals.

Playing style

Gunston has a reputation for being very accurate in kicking for goal from set shots, being frequently described as a "sharp-shooter". He is said to have a "very balanced, methodical set-shot routine", with a focus on a straight drop-ball.[9] Towards the end of the 2013 season, it was reported that Gunston had the best conversion rate out of the top 50 goal-kickers in the competition, with 82.5 percent of his set shots from the past two seasons resulting in goals.[10]

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of the 2016 season[11]
Legend
 G  Goals  B  Behinds  K  Kicks  H  Handballs  D  Disposals  M  Marks  T  Tackles
Season Team # Games G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
Totals Averages (per game)
2010 Adelaide 28 2 1 0 11 5 16 5 4 0.5 0.0 5.5 2.5 8.0 2.5 2.0
2011 Adelaide 6 12 19 11 90 39 129 60 21 1.6 0.9 7.5 3.3 10.8 5.0 1.8
2012 Hawthorn 19 19 39 22 139 87 226 78 29 2.1 1.2 7.3 4.6 11.9 4.1 1.5
2013 Hawthorn 19 23 46 17 228 127 355 128 57 2.0 0.7 9.9 5.5 15.4 5.6 2.5
2014 Hawthorn 19 23 58 27 238 132 370 137 41 2.5 1.2 10.3 5.7 16.1 6.0 1.8
2015 Hawthorn 19 24 57 35 277 119 396 179 52 2.5 1.5 11.5 5.0 16.5 7.5 2.2
2016 Hawthorn 19 24 51 33 260 125 385 154 71 2.1 1.4 10.8 5.2 16.0 6.4 3.0
Career 127 271 145 1243 634 1877 741 275 2.1 1.1 9.8 5.0 14.8 5.8 2.2

Honours and achievements

References

  1. ↑ The Haileyburyian, Summer 2014, p. 15.
  2. ↑ Patrick Smith, "AFL money man Ray Gunston well versed in clubland", The Australian, 2 August 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  3. ↑ Jon Anderson, "Hawthorn's Jack Gunston has proved a handy acquisition as third tall forward", Herald Sun, 22 September 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  4. ↑ Gill, Katrina (1 Dec 2009). "Injury almost ruined Gunston's chances". Archived from the original on 29 March 2012.
  5. ↑ Lions killed off by Crows
  6. ↑ Laidlaw, Robert. "2010 Grand Final - Great Victory For Flag". Archived from the original on 27 September 2011.
  7. ↑ Rucci, Michelangelo (11 September 2011). "Crows stripped Gunston of award". The Advertiser. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
  8. ↑ Spits, Scott. "Hawks secure Gunston". The Agedate=12 October 2011.
  9. ↑ Ben Waterworth, "http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/the-list-fox-footys-league-teams-asks-viewers-to-decide-which-afl-player-is-the-best-setshot-for-goal/news-story/d9f23973ab809d3ce75e9d1d871082af", Fox Sports. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  10. ↑ Greg Baum, "Gunston a Hawk-eye goalkicker", The Age, 6 September 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  11. ↑ Jack Gunston's player profile at AFL Tables
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