Hawthorn forward Jack Gunston is keen on working further up the ground after cutting his teeth inside the arc. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: Herald Sun
JACK Gunston's past two off-seasons have been memorable for entirely different reasons.Last year's was stressful.
His move from Adelaide was up in the air and by the time a trade to Hawthorn had been organised he had to rearrange his life for the move back to Melbourne before impressing on the training track.
This year he had fun.
He turned 21 in early October, a milestone that coincided with his first trip to the US and Mexico.
"It was for 2 1/2 weeks and it was my first time in the States. It was good to get away from everything," Gunston said.
"We went to Cancun in Mexico, soaked up a bit of sun, then pretty much explored New York, did all the touristy things, did a bit of shopping and then Los Angeles was a bit more sightseeing.
"I didn't get a chance (to see sporting events). I left before all the basketball started and I missed out by a day in New York to see the Jets in the NFL, so I was a bit flat about that. A few of the boys got to go but I didn't rock up until a day later so I was stiff. There's always next year, I suppose."
When Gunston returned home, he was one of the lucky punters who backed Melbourne Cup winner Green Moon.
"I don't know why more people didn't get on it," Gunston said.
"He ran well two starts before so I thought I'd have a flutter on it. And paying 20s in the end, it was good. I think the TAB would have done very well that day, but it was a good win for me."
The Beaumaris local speaks like a true racing man.
"I don't mind it," he said. "It's a good little hobby, nothing serious, but I like a flutter here and there.
"My old man owns a few horses and had a Melbourne Cup runner last year, Glass Harmonium. He's got a little bit of that with a few mates.
"It's a nice little interest for him. I love it, too. I sort of feel like I own it without paying the money, really. It's good."
Now Gunston has taken up skateboarding.
"I'm starting to get into it, just with my housemate. I've never done it before.
"A few of the boys got longboards and we thought we'd just join in the party and learn to skate ourselves and then maybe hit the streets of Southbank or St Kilda on a nice sunny day."
One thing he didn't do was keep abreast of the goings-on at his former club, Adelaide, regarding Kurt Tippett.
"Being over here it's a bit hard to understand it fully," he said.
As controversial an off-season as it was for the Crows, it was quiet for Gunston, particularly compared with 2011.
"Even after the trade period I was trying to settle in to Melbourne and find a place to stay. I was only able to get away to Noosa for about a week and other than that I was just training.
"I had a few extra weeks off because Adelaide didn't make the finals and the Hawks made the prelim, but mentally it was pretty tough.
"This time it was good to be nice and settled."
THE break came after a time that would have been the toughest period in his career.
More specifically, the toughest few hours.
The Hawks had squandered numerous opportunities in September's Grand Final and could only watch as Sydney players held aloft a premiership cup so many pundits had all but guaranteed would be finding its way to Waverley Park.
Gunston was one player guilty of failing to hit the mark when it mattered.
Usually a dead-eye in front of goal, the forward lined up 15 or so metres out for what should have been a routine shot, albeit from a tight angle, for a player who had kicked 39.21 to that point in the season.
With five minutes to play a goal would have brought the Hawks to within a point of the Swans. Instead, Gunston's shot clipped the inside of the right post.
"I always pride myself on my goal kicking, but this one just swung late and hit the inside of the post, unfortunately," he said.
"There was still five minutes to go so we still had a chance to come through. Hopefully next time I can put it through the big sticks.
"You need everything going well on the big day and if you don't perform then you'll end up falling short like we did."
Gunston said he had not spoken to anyone at Hawthorn about his miss.
"A lot of people that day missed a fair few set shots, we kicked a lot of points. We had a lot of missed opportunities that pretty much started right from the first minute of the game."
WHEREAS last year an air of gloom seemed to have descended over Waverley Park in the months after the agonising preliminary final loss to Collingwood, this time around Gunston said the Hawks - players and coaches - had dusted themselves off quickly and switched focus to next season.
"You don't want to dwell on the past too much," he said. "If you take it in to next season it's just going to play on your mind constantly.
"It's just best to move on and just look forward to the season coming up and hopefully a situation where we've put ourselves in that position again."
Gunston especially is looking forward to his second season in the brown and gold, after his first exceeded even his own expectations.
"I've absolutely loved it here. It couldn't have worked out any better.
"I probably had a slow start to the year, just trying to work out the Hawthorn game plan and how they play their footy. It was good to starting kicking a few and get back in to the side midway through the year and I gradually built up that chemistry with the other forwards up there."
He said he had fitted in well with Lance "Buddy" Franklin, Jarryd Roughead and David Hale in the Hawthorn forward line.
"It definitely makes you feel better as a player.
"I've been picking their brains and learning from how they go about it. I think the thing about those guys is they're very unselfish so they're more than happy to bring you in to the game and get you some touches. I think as a tall forward group we combine really well."
And he admitted at times it was a bonus to be regarded as the least damaging forward in the set-up.
"That's the positive of having so many dangerous forwards ... sometimes you can get the third or fourth defender and sometimes we might get a mismatch as well. On certain times it worked out well and then there were other times where I think teams were on to us."
THIS summer Gunston will complete only his third full pre-season campaign.
"I'm trying to put on a few kilos, which has started well," he said. "I still need to put on a couple more and then really work on my fitness base to be able to become that real running third tall.
"I need to be able to play tall and small as well. One day I'd like to be able to get out on to the wings or the midfield as well. I'll just keep working on that.
"My marking is something I'm always working on as well as my all-around skills, so hopefully there's still a lot of development to go, even though I'm only 21."
Gunston hopes to stay injury free. He wishes the same for his horse, but unfortunately that's not what's been happening. Hopefully, that's not a bad omen for him.
"It's always injured. It's called Tower of Lonhro. We're just sort of waiting for it to get it's hammies right.
"I'll stick with that one and won't really expand for a few years."
