“I reckon it’s a brilliant story”: What has been the best individual story of the 2024 season?

Kane Cornes has named Hawthorn veteran Jack Gunston as potentially the best story of the year.

Cornes admits that you couldn’t really argue against Jesse Hogan as the story of the season given his emergence as an unstoppable key forward and the likely Coleman Medallist.

However, putting the Giants forward to one side, he believes Gunston might just be the best story of 2024.

The 32-year-old returned to the Hawks after one year at the Lions, where he was in and out of the side.

Many expected him to just be a depth piece and a veteran presence for a rebuilding side, but he has been so much more.

“I reckon Jack Gunston is the story of the year,” Cornes told SEN’s Sportsday.

“After 15 finals, four Grand Finals, three premierships at the Hawks, the unsuccessful move to Brisbane, getting dropped by Chris Fagan last year and then the trade back to Hawthorn, not even he would have thought he would be on the cusp of another finals series with the threat to go deep.

“You could easily see the Hawks playing off in Preliminary Final weekend against one of the Sydney teams and you wouldn’t put it past them to take it right up to them.

“It’s even more surprising the starring role that he is playing. Be it negating the opposition’s best intercept defender or kicking goals himself, he’s slotted 12 in the last three weeks and 27 for the year and he’s locked his spot back inside the best 22 and looks really important for Hawthorn.

“It’s just one of those unexpected ones where six weeks ago you go ‘okay, it was worth a throw at the stumps to bring him back, but in the end he’s probably not going to be there when they pick their team for the first final’.

“He’s not only going to be there, he’s going to be a vital member of that.

“I reckon it’s a brilliant story.”

Gunston also deserves credit for his mentorship of young key forward Calsher Dear, as the Rising Star nominee discussed on SEN yesterday.

Hawthorn must beat North Melbourne on the weekend to secure their spot in the top eight, capping off an incredible run since their 0-5 start.