THREE-time premiership forwards Luke Breust and Jack Gunston have signed one-year contracts for 2025 on the eve of Hawthorn's first final since 2018.
The veteran pair had expressed their desire to play on in 2025 in recent months and are now locked in for another season in brown and gold.
Breust and Gunston are the only Hawthorn premiership players left at Waverley Park – Jack Ginnivan is the only other player with a premiership on his CV – and the only two players at the club with 200 games of experience, after Chad Wingard retired on Monday.
With 298 games next to his name, Breust is on the cusp of becoming just the ninth player in Hawthorn's history to reach 300 games, behind iconic club figures Michael Tuck, Leigh Matthews, Sam Mitchell, Shane Crawford, Luke Hodge, Chris Langford, Don Scott and Kelvin Moore.
The dual All-Australian turns 34 in November and has started as the sub in 10 of 17 appearances this season – and been subbed out of two other games – but has played an important role as part of an evolving forward line.
Breust has battled groin issues across his 16th season in the AFL but has still kicked 20 goals this season, including six multiple-goal hauls to complement an attack that now includes Nick Watson, Mabior Chol and Ginnivan.
Gunston has also finalised a new deal in recent days after being offered another contract last month, less than a year after returning for a second stint at Waverley Park with no guarantees.
The 2018 All-Australian wasn't a permanent fixture in the first half of the season, but has proven to be a hit both off-field and on-field.
Gunston finished the home and away season with 28 goals on the board from 16 appearances, including 13 in the final month of the season to provide another target inside 50.
After moving to Brisbane at the end of 2022, Gunston requested a trade back to Hawthorn at the end of 2023 and is now locked in for a 13thseason in brown and gold.
Both Gunston and Breust are expected to face the Western Bulldogs in Friday night's elimination final at the MCG.
The pair played in the 2018 semi-final loss to Melbourne alongside Blake Hardwick, Jarman Impey, Harry Morrison, Conor Nash, James Sicily and James Worpel, and are the lone surivors from the 2015 premiership win over West Coast.
