HAWTHORN star Jack Gunston is willing to follow Luke Hodge and Sam Mitchell's lead by accepting less money in his next contract to help keep Alastair Clarkson's premiership juggernaut together.
 
Gunston, 24, is in talks to extend his deal beyond the end of this year and the brilliant 193cm forward is prepared to sacrifice his pay packet when he eventually signs.
 
"It is in the works. They have been going through the start of the pre-season. It is not something that plays on my mind too much," Gunston told News Corp.
 
"I wouldn’t say there is too much scope to be wanting to leave Hawthorn, that’s for sure.
 
"A lot of people have (sacrificed) before me and they have ended up with three or four premiership medals. We saw that at Geelong, if you want to be in a premiership side you have to take a little less.
 
"That’s what people at Hawthorn have done."
 
Gunston, who will lead the Hawks' attack for the first half of the season in Jarryd Roughead's absence, has been a revelation since he crossed to Waverley from Adelaide at the end of 2011.
 
He won the Hawks’ goalkicking last year with 57 majors and has now booted 200 goals in 89 games for the Hawks, including 29 majors in 11 finals.
 
The triple-premiership player is also part of Hawthorn’s emerging leadership group and is determined to continue the selfless culture at the club.
 
"I think it’s just known now. I guess at Hawthorn we are not a selfish team, it doesn’t need to be spoken about," Gunston said.
 
"You could see with (Luke) Hodge and (Sam) Mitchell, they love the club and they could be getting more money elsewhere and they just love the direction the club has been going in."
 
Gunston last put pen to paper on a two-year contract extension in 2014.