Hawks set to benefit from Patton’s arrival

JON Patton’s arrival at Hawthorn should allow Jack Gunston to return to his All Australian best, according to the Hawks legend who coached him at GWS.

Hawthorn five-time premiership star Dermott Brereton said yesterday Patton had been typecast as a stay-athome forward but was more than capable of roaming further afield. Patton has been training at the Hawks for several weeks ahead of his official arrival date, confident he can display the form that saw him kick 45 goals in 2017.

Coming off three knee reconstructions, Patton was effectively warehoused by mutual decision this year to protect him ahead of signing a three-year deal with the Hawks.

Hawks football boss Graeme Wright said the club’s fitness and medical bosses were only holding him back from full training as they learn about his body given a full summer ahead. Patton spent the off-season staying fit with boxing sessions and could be a masterful recruit for the Hawks if he can churn out a full season.

Brereton said the Hawks had struck paydirt with two late selections — Mitch Lewis at pick 76 and best-and-fairest winner James Worpel at No.45.

It means Clarkson now has an array of flexible talents at his disposal and can play Gunston as a third tall again after having to step up with Jarryd Roughead playing VFL for much of 2019.

“What people don’t understand about Johnny is they see this great big hulking fellow who has a huge body shape and you get a perception of what he can and can’t do,” he said.

“He has very good agility, he is very light on his feet so he’s a lot more mobile than people give him credit for

“What they will do is use Gunston the way they did in their halcyon years where he could play on a wing and then drift forward, they have scope to do that a bit more.

“It will give the coach more scope to manipulate Gunston to advantage.

“I get the feeling Mitch Lewis has come out a little better than they thought he might have. So with two monstersized key forward in Mitch Lewis and Jon Patton you can have your four mobile players and it means Gunston can literally play as a mobile roaming go-anywhere player you can exploit through the midfield as well.”