Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell has claimed one of his forwards should be a lock for All-Australian honours at the end of the year.
Mitchell said key forward Jack Gunston should be a lock for his second All-Australian blazer after his strong performance for the Hawks this year.
Mitchell conceded that he didn't think the 33-year-old Gunston would be named in the AA side at the start of the year, but he is a lock in his eyes.
"He’d have to be locked in, wouldn’t he? And I think if you look at the role he plays, it’s obviously vital to us," Mitchell said in his post-match press conference after their win against Collingwood.
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"But his season has just been super consistent. He’s hardly played a bad game, and he’s had a positive influence on just about every game for the whole season.
The All-Australian team is named at the end of the season and comprises the best 22 players across the AFL in their respective positions, with each player receiving a blazer in acknowledgment of being named.
"It’s great for him to get a blazer this year," Mitchell added with the team still a while away from being announced.
Gunston, who was named in the 2018 All-Australian side, kicked four goals in the Hawks' 64-point win against Collingwood on Thursday night and is currently second in the Coleman Medal with 53 goals.
He is also rated elite across several averages this season, including goals per game (2.9), goal assists (0.9), and marks on lead (2.0), to name just a few.
Gunston, who will be 34 years old in October, has won three premierships at the Hawks and has played brilliantly since being traded back to them after spending one year on Brisbane's list in 2023.
He has kicked 534 goals across his 278-game career across three teams and was selected at pick 9 in the 2009 draft.