Hawk Jack Gunston said he could not be more impressed by youngsters Josh Ward and Connor Macdonald as they prepare for their debuts against North Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday.
Since arriving at the Hawks off the back of the national draft last year, Gunston said the duo “haven’t put a foot wrong”.
“They’re both crafty players, I think they’re going to be super players for this footy club for a long time,” Gunston said.
“They’re ready to go and perform in Round 1, they’re not just filling a spot.
“They’ve played really well in the practice games and their pre-season training has been super.
“They’re talented kids and the quicker we can fast track them, the quicker we’ll be moving up the ladder.”
The Hawks will be without senior players Luke Breust and Ben McEvoy for the game this Sunday due to the AFL’s health and safety protocols.
But speaking to the media on Thursday alongside Gunston, fellow teammate James Sicily said his side were well-equipped to “roll with the punches”.
“We’ve got a sub list there in place, we know we’re probably going to have to use it at some stage, but we’ll try our best for that to not distract us and keep building on the way we want to play,” Sicily said.
“I think you’ll find out about Round 4 what our game style looks like and hopefully that’s a good reflection on us executing it well.
“There’s going to be a void to fill (this Sunday) – especially with McEvoy as the captain – it’s going to be on Jack and I and numerous others to step up and lead a younger group.
“But we’re excited by that as well, I’m sure the young guys playing in front of hopefully a 30,000 to 40,000 crowd will be a nice experience for them.”
As they prepare to play their first games since lengthy stints on the sidelines due to injuries, both Sicily and Gunston said they feel rejuvenated and ready to go.
“It has been a harder pre-season than I’ve done in the past,” Sicily said.
“The way Sam Mitchell wanted to play made it a lot tougher, a lot more competitive, and a lot more physical."
Now heading into his 11th season in the brown and gold, Gunston also added that this pre-season has been the most gruelling he has had to date.
“This is the most pre-season I’ve done for a few years now as well,” Gunston said.
“Having a lot of young guys around us now – I think I’m the fourth oldest at the club – it makes you feel younger again.
“Hopefully I’ve still got a few more years to go, and I still believe I’m capable of some really good footy.”
