This weekend Jake Gunstone plays his 150th open-age game for the Demons.
Season 2023 is Jake’s 13th season with the Pennant Hills Demons. He is 29 years old.
Although his parents are originally from Melbourne, Jake’s first taste of footy was as a five year old, playing Auskick in Tasmania in 1999. When the family moved to Sydney, Jake did Auskick again at Pennant Hills Juniors in 2001. Then between 2003 to 2010, he notched up 90 club games with the Demons playing from the U10s through to the U16s. Along with current clubmates Tim Acheson, Regan Pinker, Theo Moraitis and Adam Nixon, Jake was part of the Pennant Hills U14 premiership side in 2008.
Jake graduated to the senior club in 2011, playing 30 games with the Under 18s over two seasons. He had his open-age debut in 2013, playing Reserves and third grade. Since then, he’s played mainly in the Reserves, however, in round 7, 2021 he made a long-awaited senior debut, replacing an injured Tom Angel. Unfortunately, Penno suffered a 98 pts drubbing that day at the hands of a strong Sydney University outfit. Jake’s had senior grade appearances in each of the last three seasons, including four games so far in 2023. No doubt, he’ll be keen to hold his spot for the remainder of 2023.
Jake recalls that in the match following his debut, Rd 8 versus East Coast Eagles, Penno won by more than 10 goals and James Peatling, in his only (and last) appearance for the Demons in 2021, was Penno’s best on ground. JP was subsequently recruited to the GWS Giants in the 2021 mid-season draft!
Jake was a member of the third grade premiership side that won the Division Four flag in 2013 and he kicked a rare goal that day. In what turned out to be quite a successful year for the Club, the Under 18s also won the flag that year and Premier Division were runners up to Manly in the 2013 Grand Final, losing by 8 pts after leading the match at different stages. Pennant Hills’ Alex Huggins won the Division Four Sanders Medal and his team-mate, Nathan Breen, was runner up. Kieran Wright finished equal third in the Phelan Medal after finishing first and second in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Evan Danilo was voted Best on Ground in the Division Four Grand Final.
Jake was the Captain of the Grand Final team in 2015 which lost to Sydney University by a solitary point. For Jake, this match will forever haunt his dreams, as he was injured early in the game and despite bravely trying to return to the field, had to sit out much of the match watching from the bench. His distress was palpable and he was a brave, but forlorn, figure when he had to give the concession speech after the match.
Three years later, Jake was in another Grand Final against Sydney University. Like Jake, a number of his team-mates at that time were still haunted by the 2015 loss. It had been more than 20 years since Penno’s Reserves had won a flag and the 2018 Premier Division Reserves Grand Final was chance for atonement.
In a hard fought low-scoring contest, Penno, behind by 5 pts at half-time, won the 2018 Grand Final by 15 pts. Jake’s contribution was 2 of Penno’s 7 goals, including the team’s first goal and an inspirational long bomb moments before the three quarter time siren …
“Then, with seconds left on the clock, Harry took another classy mark on the wing and his kick ended in the arms of Jake Gunstone, low down, on the 50. After momentarily flirting with the idea of kicking to a target inside 50, Gunner realigned himself with the goal, threw caution to the wind, and, with sinews stretched to the max, he thumped a long wobbly torp that sailed over the outstretched hands of the Uni defenders and through the BIG sticks … “Gunner Goes BANG!” … it was 24 ½ minutes gone and all of a sudden Penno led by 14 pts and it was ‘exactly what was needed!’ Adam Nixon, standing deep inside the box, played perfect interference, keeping his opponent out of harm’s way and preventing a goal-line spoil by Uni. (GOAL #6 – GUNSTONE)”
Jake has been a gutsy and consistent performer over a long period and has unarguably earned his spot in the senior side. We wish him the best of luck in his milestone match this weekend.
Go Penno!
Postscript … Redemption for Jake Gunstone
The 2018 Grand Final was a chance for atonement for Jake Gunstone as he was the Captain of the Grand Final team in 2015 which lost to Sydney University by a solitary point. To this day, Jake had been haunted by the devastating loss in 2015, as he was injured early in the game and despite bravely trying to return to the field, had to sit out much of the match watching from the bench. His distress was palpable and he was a brave, but forlorn, figure when he had to give the concession speech after the match.
Today’s Grand Final (2018) therefore also has special significance for Jake. Ironically, he almost didn’t make it to today’s finale as he suffered an injury in Round 1 and wasn’t able to return to the field until Round 14 and had to come back through the third grade side. He played five games in the thirds including the semi final victory over Sydney University, which meant the Demons went straight through to the Division One Grand Final. Playing in his 100th game, Jake kicked two goals in the Division One semi and his return to fitness and form resulted in his elevation to the Reserve Grade team in time for the preliminary final against North Shore. He kicked a goal in that match and retained his spot for the Grand Final and we now know that he kicked two crucial goals in the Grand Final, including the team’s first major and that long bomb in the dying moments of the third quarter … two ‘super important’ goals according to Coach Clarke. What redemption … what a fairy-tale finish for the man known as Gunner!
Written & compiled by John Acheson for PHAFC, Saturday, 27 May 2023