‘Do I need to get involved?’ Hawks coach addresses star’s future as great fires trade warning

Hawthorn legend Jordan Lewis has cautioned his former club that signing Ben King could disrupt culture as the Hawks also look to lock away Mitch Lewis.

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.

There’s 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.

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The 27-year old forward held off signing an extension put to him by the Hawks amid interest from Collingwood as he weighs up his own free agency call.

However Hawks coach Sam Mitchell said there was optimism within the four walls that Lewis’ contract talks were moving in the right direction.

“My understanding of the future side of things, is list management tells me it’s going OK,” Mitchell said on Fox Footy’s AFL 360.

“Absolutely (we’re dead set on keeping Lewis), he’s an important player for us. He’s never played more than 15 games in a season.

“So, rightly, at the start of the year he was like: ‘I want to make sure I can play this game, play the full season and prove my body is up to it’. And he’s well and truly done that.”

Asked if Hawthorn had put its best offer to Lewis, Mitchell said: “I’ll be honest. I don’t get involved in the nitty gritty details.

“All I know is, ‘do you need my help? Do I need to get involved here?’ — and they say yes or no.

“I 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’s going okay.”

Mitchell was hopeful that list management would “maybe not ever” need to him to step in.

“I don’t normally get involved in the contract side of things. I’ll leave that with them,” he added.

Lewis’ form prompted Lions great Jonathan Brown to question whether Hawthorn needs King.

Lewis has averaged 12.7 disposals, 5.4 marks, 1.3 contested marks and kicked 30 goals.

Meanwhile King, who’s ranked second in the Coleman Medal with 48 majors, has averaged 7.4 disposals, 3.6 marks and 0.9 contested marks and would come on a much bigger pay packet.

“There’s been plenty of talk about Ben King coming to Hawthorn. Do you need both?,” Brown posed on On the Couch.

Lewis suggested the looming arrival of King on a big-money deal could put the Hawks in a delicate situation.

“There’s certain decisions on positions I think you need to canvas that idea with the playing group. That’s a difficult thing to do, because you can go to too many players and get too many opinions,” he said.

“But it’s a key forward coming in who will be on more money than any other key forward in that. You’ve got a key forward there (Lewis) that is performing well and well liked within the playing group.

“So the one thing you don’t 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.

“It’s not as easy as saying who would rather. Those decisions are multifaceted.

“I don’t think you can have Ben King and keep Mitch Lewis. But they may do it.”

Richmond champion Jack Riewoldt thinks the bigger talking point is what the potential arrival of King could mean for Gunston’s future.

That comes despite a career-best season from Gunston, 34, with 40 goals from 12 games.

“It’s not so much Lewis and King, it’s Gunston and King, surely?,” Brown posed.

“You think about the roles they play. Lewis and King can survive in the same forward line with Chol. That’s working now.

“Because King is a taller version of Gunston. If Ben King goes to Hawthorn, I would fear where that puts Jack Gunston.”

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