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\u2018DON\u2019T WANT TO UPSET THE CULTURE\u2019: CAUTION OVER HAWKS TRADE PLANS<\/p>\n
Hawthorn legend Jordan Lewis has cautioned his former club that signing Ben King could disrupt its culture as the Hawks also look to lock away Mitch Lewis. <\/p>\n
Lewis is coming off a season-best five goal performance against Richmond to take his season tally to 30 majors from a career-best 18 games after a wretched run of injury since being drafted in 2016.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s been talk that if the Hawks do in fact land Suns free agent King on a lucrative deal, that could cause Lewis to depart Hawthorn.<\/p>\n
The 27-year old forward held off signing an extension put to him by the Hawks amid interest from Collingwood.<\/p>\n
However Hawks coach Sam Mitchell said there was optimism within the four walls that Lewis\u2019 contract talks were moving in the right direction.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy understanding of the future side of things, is list management tells me it\u2019s going OK,\u201d Mitchell said on Fox Footy\u2019s AFL 360.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsolutely (we\u2019re dead set on keeping him), he\u2019s an important player for us. He\u2019s never played more than 15 games in a season. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo, rightly, at the start of the year he was like: \u2018I want to make sure I can play this game, play the full season and prove my body is up to it\u2019. And he\u2019s well and truly done that.\u201d<\/p>\n
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MAY 19: Mitch Lewis of the Hawks talks to Sam Mitchell, Senior Coach of the Hawks during a Hawthorn Hawks AFL training session at Kennedy Community Centre on May 19, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney\/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
Asked if Hawthorn had put its best offer to Lewis, Mitchell said: \u201cI\u2019ll be honest. I don\u2019t get involved in the nitty gritty details.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll I know is, \u2018do you need my help? Do I need to get involved here?\u2019 \u2014 and they say yes or no.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the forwards had a bit of a chat about it last week and started getting into him and all those types of things, but I think it\u2019s going okay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mitchell was hopeful that list management would \u201cmaybe not ever\u201d need to him to step in. <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t normally get involved in the contract side of things. I\u2019ll leave that with them,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Lewis\u2019 form prompted Lions great Jonathan Brown to question whether they need King.<\/p>\n
Lewis has averaged 12.7 disposals, 5.4 marks, 1.3 contested marks and kicked 30 goals.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile King, who\u2019s ranked second in the Coleman Medal with 48 majors, has averaged 7.4 disposals, 3.6 marks and 0.9 contested mark and would come on a much bigger pay packet.<\/p>\n
Ash fined over mouthing off umpire | 00:34<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s been plenty of talk about Ben King coming to Hawthorn. Do you need both?,\u201d Brown posed on On the Couch.<\/p>\n
Lewis suggested the looming arrival of King on a big-money deal could put the Hawks in a delicate situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s certain decisions on positions I think you need to canvas that idea with the playing group. That\u2019s a difficult thing to do, because you can go to too many players and get too many opinions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s a key forward coming in who will be on more money than any other key forward in that. You\u2019ve got a key forward there (Lewis) that is performing well and well liked within the playing group.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo the one thing you don\u2019t want to do is bring in a player for a position you already have on more money that upsets the culture of the football club.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not as easy as saying who would rather. Those decisions are multifaceted.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think you can have Ben King and keep Mitch Lewis. But they may do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richmond champion Jack Riewoldt thinks the bigger talking point is what the potential arrival of King could mean for Gunston\u2019s future.<\/p>\n
That comes despite a career-best season from Gunston, 34, with 40 goals from 12 games.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not so much Lewis and King, it\u2019s Gunston and King, surely?,\u201d Brown posed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think about the roles they play. Lewis and King can survive in the same forward line with Chol. That\u2019s working now.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause King is a taller version of Gunston. If Ben King goes to Hawthorn, I would fear where that puts Jack Gunston.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018DISRESPECTFUL, ARROGANT\u2019: GREAT HITS BACK AT GIANTS DIG<\/p>\n
Outgoing Giants chief executive Dave Matthews has certainly caused a stir among the Tasmanian contingent.<\/p>\n
Matthews over the weekend said Tasmania was \u201cnot a super attractive proposition\u201d for players to join and the state was \u201ca nice place to visit, but I don\u2019t think it\u2019s an unbelievable place to have a career and live.\u201d<\/p>\n
The comments came as GWS battles to retain Tom Green, who\u2019s out of contract next season and thought to be one of the Devils\u2019 top targets. <\/p>\n