Another Hawks forward re-signs amid chase for Suns star

Oliver Caffrey | July 23, 2026

Hawthorn forward Mitch Lewis has inked a new four-year deal, his signature official less than 24 hours after veteran teammate Jack Gunston committed to playing on in 2027.

As they close in on convincing Gold Coast star Ben King to move this off-season, the Hawks are building a stacked roster of tall forwards.

Lewis received strong interest from Collingwood, but chose to stay with the club that drafted him back in 2016.

The 27-year-old has battled injury issues across his career, but has managed to kick 30 goals in 18 games this season.

“While much had been made of Mitch’s future externally, we were always really focused on getting this deal done with his management given Mitch’s importance to our forward mix,” Hawthorn recruiting boss Mark McKenzie said.

“There’s no doubt Mitch is a key part of what we are trying to achieve as a club, and at 27, he is arguably at the peak of his powers.

“While his injury history has been well documented, it’s a credit to both Mitch and the club for getting him to this position of sustained performance as he nears 100 career games.

“In saying that, we are very confident he can continue to elevate his game even further in the years ahead.”

Fellow key forward Mabior Chol is already contracted for next year, while Hawthorn are favoured to secure King in what would be a blockbuster move from the Suns.

Young tall Calsher Dear, the son of late Norm Smith medallist Paul, remains without a contract for next year, despite showing some serious promise in his first 31 games.