HE WATCHED Nick Watson and Mitch Lewis cash in last Sunday against Richmond, but on Saturday, Jack Gunston made Essendon pay in a big way to reignite his pursuit of the Coleman Medal.

The 34-year-old has missed six games due to a lingering foot injury, but heading into August, Gunston remains in the hunt after booting seven goals to dismantle the Bombers by 93 points at the MCG.

HAWKS v BOMBERS Full match coverage and stats 

After signing a one-year extension in recent days to lock in a 18th season in the AFL, Gunston overtook triple premiership teammate Luke Breust for career goals when he snapped two set shots in two minutes from the same spot at the city end to get moving in the second quarter.

Gunston added a third before half-time from the goal line, but then slotted four goals in a brilliant third quarter burst to become just the 37th player in V/AFL history to reach 600 goals, equalling his personal best of seven before the final break.

Two-time Coleman Medal winner Charlie Curnow kicked four more on Saturday in the Sydney Derby to take the lead back off Ben King and remains the man to beat with four games to play.

But no one has averaged more goals per game in 2026 than Gunston, who has is going at 4.3 per game, but missing so many games with a mid-foot sprain might prove costly when it comes to him becoming the first Hawk since Jarryd Roughead in 2013 to win the Coleman Medal. Not that he will care.

Gunston finished with 73 goals in 2025 in his second season back at the Hawks – after that one season north at Brisbane – and looks destined for a third All-Australian blazer - and second in two seasons at 33 and then 34 - after moving up to 47 goals.

And while the attention was focused inside 50 on Gunston’s growing bag, Jarman Impey produced a brilliant performance from start to finish that should remind All-Australian selectors of his form this year.

Impey amassed 37 disposals across half-back and generated 836 metres gained, finishing with 11 score involvements, nine inside 50s and seven intercepts in a performance that could prevent Gunston from collecting three votes on Brownlow Medal night. 

With Michael Tuck, Rodney Eade, John Platten and many of the 1986 premiership team involved pre-game and at half-time to celebrate the 40th reunion of the flag under Allan Jeans, Sam Mitchell’s men did what they needed to do to move one step closer to securing a top four spot ahead of September. 

Will Day is yet to play in a single final, but the star midfielder banked another important performance in just his seventh game of the season, returning after missing round 19 with a corked calf.

The 25-year-old dominated early, kicking two goals the first quarter, stunning the crowd by keeping a ball in that looked almost out, danced around two Bombers, then snapped his second in a moment of individual brilliance. 

Those two goals were kicked either side of a five-minute delay when Lewis was concussed while tackling Essendon’s Jaxon Artemis. Lewis stood for minutes, while the medicart was called, but then walked off the MCG with the help of a few trainers. 

When the game restarted Nate Caddy reignited the contest by running back with the flight and hauling in a courageous grab, before importantly snapping the goal. 
 
Caddy was locked in an intriguing battle with Josh Weddle and Noah Mraz at different times and finished with three goals in another eye-catching display from the young spearhead, who like Gunston and Lewis is part of a group of key forwards across the competition who signed new deals in July.  
 
Essendon started well and responded briefly after half-time but a spate of injuries made a tough task even more difficult. First the Bombers lost Jordan Ridley to a foot injury, then Sullivan Robey to a knee concern, before Archer Day-Wicks hobbled off.
 
This game didn’t have quality or intensity of the rivalry, but Hawthorn sharpened its weapons ahead of another finals series under Sam Mitchell. 

More to come

Big week ends early for key Hawk
One of the most significant weeks of Mitch Lewis’ career ended early on Saturday when the key forward exited the game in the first quarter with a nasty concussion. Six days earlier, Lewis booted five goals against Richmond – the second most of his career and most since recovering from a knee reconstruction – and then on Wednesday turned his back on rival free agency offers to re-sign with Hawthorn for four more years. But now the spearhead will miss at least next weekend’s trip to Launceston to play North Melbourne. 

HAWTHORN        3.5    9.8    14.14    19.18 (132)
ESSENDON          2.3    2.5    3.6        5.9 (39)
  
GOALS
Hawthorn:  Gunston 7, Watson 3, Day 2, Chol 2, Morrison, Mackenzie, Ginnivan, Moore, Impey
Essendon:  Caddy 3, Wright 2
 
BEST
Hawthorn:  Impey, Gunston, Ward, Newcombe, Sicily, Mackenzie
Essendon: Caddy, McGrath, Blakiston, Merrett, Sharp

INJURIES
Hawthorn:  Lewis (concussion)
Essendon: Ridley (foot), Robey (knee), Day-Wicks (TBC)
 
Crowd: 42,509 at the MCG