Gunston shakes hands with rival coach Fagan despite heartbreaking loss
Jack Gunston, a veteran Hawk, ran to embrace Brisbane coach Chris Fagan. This came right after Hawthorn's last-minute preliminary final loss. He showed real sportsmanship despite his pain.
Jack Gunston showed real grace after Hawthorn's big loss to Brisbane on Saturday night. Right after the final siren, he ran 70 metres across the MCG.
He wanted to shake hands with Brisbane coach Chris Fagan. Gunston and Fagan share a history from Hawthorn's 2013-2015 premiership era.
Gunston also spent one season under Fagan at Brisbane in 2023. Then he returned to the Hawks.
His gesture stood out. Some Hawks players, including James Sicily, Tom Barrass and Jack Ginnivan, traded words with umpires.
This was over a controversial decision in the final seconds. Brisbane won after the lead changed hands four times in the last ten minutes.
- 70 metres
- Gunston's run distance
- 28 points early in last quarter
- Brisbane's lead
- 9 points
- Final margin
- 4 times in under 10 minutes
- Lead changes
Why it mattersIn high-stakes sport, choosing respect and thanks over anger shows character. It also reminds us what sportsmanship truly means.
AustraliaGunston's actions provide a positive example for Australian athletes and fans as the code prepares for the Grand Final.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 4 d ago
