Hawthorn forward Jack Gunston has spoken one week on from back surgery.

The reigning Peter Crimmins Medallist conceded it has been a frustrating year on the sidelines but he is now feeling optimistic about 2022 following the operation.

"I'm feeling good," Gunston said. 

"I'm obviously disappointed that we had to go in there again and do something else but I'm really confident that it went well.

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"The beauty of doing it now is that we can get ready for day one of pre-season.

"It's been a frustrating year and I would have loved to have been out there.

"I would have loved to have played some footy with a lot of these young guys but, in some ways, being on the sidelines has been good for me - I've been able to do a bit of coaching and helping a lot of these younger guys hone in on their craft and we've seen a lot of the younger guys really excelling over the course of the year."

Watch the full interview below.