Jack Gunston is believed to be unhappy with the reported player stance regarding outgoing Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson.
Former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire understands that Gunston was extremely vocal in a recent player meeting when some of the younger brigade voiced their opinion regarding the succession plan involving Sam Mitchell.
The Hawks chose to quicken up the process with Clarkson now set to leave at the end of this season and Mitchell immediately taking over, as opposed to the initial plan of a 2022 handover.
McGuire believes Gunston was firmly in Clarkson’s corner in the fiery meeting.
“My understanding, talking about leaks coming out, this is one person back from the inside on two parts,” McGuire said on Channel 9’s Footy Classified.
“A couple of weeks ago the young players said, ‘hey listen, this is our career, why don’t we start now and getting it going quickly, get the new coach in, why are we going to wait 18 months and have all this mucking around?’
“Then I understand that Jack Gunston was very, very strong in the meeting last week when it all came to a head. He said he was very strong on the way Clarkson was being treated and was really vehement.
“I understand it was the most fired up player meeting that anyone could remember.”
Ex-St Kilda and Fremantle coach Ross Lyon couldn’t quite believe that players in the infancy of their careers were so vocal about the coaching situation.
“We’re listening to first, second and third-year players who don’t know what they don’t know, they’ve been playing at Box Hill,” he said.
“Or you’ve got Gunston, triple premiership (player) and understands.
“Their view should be irrelevant, the first and second-year players.”
Further on Gunston, who has played just one game this year due to back surgery, Matthew Lloyd feels the 29-year-old forward could be pondering his future with the Hawks.
From a list management viewpoint, Essendon champion Lloyd can see Gunston moving on from the club where he has won three premierships and played close to 200 games.
“For me the one that jumps out is Jack Gunston,” Lloyd said.
“I don’t know if he’ll be there next year at the Hawthorn Football Club.
“I just think with a year to go, been out all this year. Let’s not forget he won the best and fairest last year, so the quality player he is.
“It’s just got me thinking whether Melbourne, Essendon and Collingwood all could do with a player like that. He’d want to stay in Victoria, he’s come back from Adelaide.
“I still think he has two or three quality years left in him and I think he would want to go to a side close to finals.
“This is a player, I think, that is thinking about his future and leaving Hawthorn.”
Gunston, who won the 2020 Peter Crimmins Medal, is out of contract at the end of next season.
"Jack Gunston was very very strong in the meeting last week when it all came to a head. He was very strong on the way that Clarkson was being treated." - Eddie McGuire.#9FootyClassified | Watch @Channel9 pic.twitter.com/RySWxsVMVC
— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) August 4, 2021