Jack Gunston will turn 31 on Sunday. Only Dayne Zorko and Daniel Rich are older in the Lions den. But don’t for one moment think his AFL career is on a downward slope.

And if you need any convincing, just look at the stats. In his last five games the triple Hawthorn premiership player turned Brisbane recruit kicked 17 goals – the best return in any five-game block of his distinguished 225-game AFL career.

Only Richmond’s Tom Lynch kicked more goals in the AFL from Rounds 19-23 this year in what was a personal tribute by Gunston to his father Ray, a long-time and much-loved AFL executive who died on 5 July of a heart attack.

Gunston, hit hard by the sudden loss of his No.1 confidant, had a fortnight away from football and returned to kick 5-1-5-2-4 goals in what turned out to be his last five games for Hawthorn.

Speaking today on the AFL’s Trade Radio, Gunston told how he spent “a number of weeks tossing things around” before joining what has been a big Hawthorn defection to Brisbane in recent years.

He follows coach Chris Fagan and premiership teammates Luke Hodge and Grant Birchall in trading the brown and gold of the Hawks for Lions colors.

“In the end I decided it is a good opportunity to add to my football journey … to flip the script on what at times was a pretty tough year,” he said.

“Nobody persuaded me … I decided what is best for my football and my life going forward. I’m grateful to both clubs for giving me the opportunity to do what I’ve done … to get another life experience … to enjoy a lifestyle that is totally new … and play at a club where I obviously know quite a few people …  I’m really excited about what the next couple of years can hold.”

Gunston, a sharp-shooting 193cm forward who appeals as a mouth-watering partner for Lions key forwards Joe Daniher and Eric Hipwood, has lived 13 years in the AFL spotlight of first Adelaide and then Melbourne.

A graduate of Haileybury College in Melbourne and a product of the Sandringham Dragons in what is now the NAB League, he was drafted by the Crows with pick #29 in the 2009 AFL Draft. He was drafted five spots ahead of Dragons teammate Max Gawn, who went to Melbourne at #34.

Only four players from the AFL Class of 2009 have played more games than Gunston – Richmond pick #3 Dustin Martin (269), Geelong pick #28 Mitch Duncan (258), Carlton rookie pick turned Geelong star Zac Tuohy (256) and North Melbourne pick #5 Ben Cunnington (227). And with 398 goals, Gunston is far and away the No.1 goal-kicker among 2009 draftees. Martin (291) is next best.

Ironically, Gunston’s AFL journey began in Round 9 2010 against the club with which he will now finish his career.

It was Adelaide against Brisbane at Football Park. Only Rich of his new teammates played in a game in which Gunston kicked the Crows’ last goal 18 minutes into the final quarter to clinch what finished a 12-point win.

He played 14 games in two years with Adelaide, wearing first jumper #28 and then #6, before requesting a trade home to Hawthorn, where he was allocated the famous #19 jumper worn previously by Queensland champion Jason Dunstall.

He played 211 games for Hawthorn in #19 to rank sixth all-time in AFL history for games in #19, which has been the property of young tall Henry Smith for the past two years at the Lions without an AFL appearance.

Gunston, Hodge and Birchall played six years together from 2012-2017, including the 2012 grand final loss to Sydney and the 2013-14-15 grand final wins over Fremantle, Sydney and West Coast, when all three finished top 10 in the Hawthorn B&F each year.

Widely regarded as one of football’s true gentlemen, Gunston was equal fourth in the Hawthorn goal-kicking in 2012 and has been top three every year since except 2021, when he played only one game due to back problems. He topped the Hawks goal-kicking in 2015-16-20.

His year-by-year tally through this period, including a 2018 campaign in which he played the second half of the year in defence, was 39-46-58-57-51-19-51-26-31-0-32.

With 410 goals in the last 11 years despite his goalless 2020, he sits behind only eight players in the League for goals from 2011-22 – Geelong’s Tom Hawkins (625), Sydney’s Lance Franklin (596), West Coast’s Josh Kennedy (574), Richmond’s Jack Riewoldt (558), Geelong’s Jeremy Cameron (502),, West Coast’s Jack Darling (460), Adelaide’s Taylor Walker (446) and Richmond’s Tom Lynch (432).

Gunston finished top 10 in the Hawks B&F seven times, winning the coveted Peter Crimmins Medal in 2020, won All-Australian selection in 2018 and was in the 40-man All-Australian squad in 2014-15-16-20. He represented Australia in the International Rules series in 2017.

Elevated to the Hawthorn leadership group in 2017 when Jarryd Roughead replaced Hodge as captain, Gunston was appointed vice-captain in 2019 under new skipper Ben Stratton. He stepped down after 12 months to focus on some niggling injury problems but continued in the leadership group.

Gunston will head to Brisbane with a 9-4 career record against the Lions and a 2-2 record at the Gabba.