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Brisbane rugby league star Karmichael Hunt is switching to play Australian Rules with new AFL franchise Gold Coast in a move which will rock the NRL.
In an unprecedented cross-code switch, the Gold Coast outfit is to announce on Wednesday it plans to acquire Hunt, who comes off contract with the Broncos this season.
He will probably begin his new career in the VFL next year, with Gold Coast likely to play in that competition rather than the QAFL before joining the AFL as the 17th franchise in 2011.
It is believed to be the first time a rugby league international has switched to play Australian Rules at the elite level.
The move will intensify the fierce turf war between the strongest football codes in Australia, with rugby league in danger of suffering further raids on its most talented players, especially if Hunt makes a successful transition.
Fellow Test players Greg Inglis, Billy Slater and Israel Folau are other obvious targets for AFL clubs.
Hunt played some Australian Rules as a schoolboy in Brisbane, attracting the attention of Queensland AFL scouts, before joining the Broncos as a 17-year-old in 2004.
The Auckland-born fullback has since played 10 State of Origin matches for Queensland and 11 Tests for Australia.
With Hunt’s contract with the Broncos up at the end of the 2009 NRL season, the 22-year-old’s future has been a hot topic in recent months.
He knocked back a $1.2 million three-year deal from the Broncos earlier this year and his manager David Riolo has been overseas looking at his options.
There had been speculation he could move to Japan to play rugby, but Hunt will make his shock code-switch announcement at a press conference on the Gold Coast at 10.30am Wednesday AEST.
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July 29th 2009 @ 12:24pm
Gibbo said | July 29th 2009 @ 12:24pm | Report comment
Never heard of him… he any relation to Rex?
July 29th 2009 @ 12:25pm
Jameswm said | July 29th 2009 @ 12:25pm | Report comment
After seeing the heading, I thought this article was a gee-up. Are you for real?
July 29th 2009 @ 12:27pm
Chop said | July 29th 2009 @ 12:27pm | Report comment
Yep it’s serious James, I had written something saying exactly this when I heard about it at 8am but it hasn’t been posted yet, probably a waste of time now.
July 29th 2009 @ 12:29pm
Dogs Of War said | July 29th 2009 @ 12:29pm | Report comment
The AFL will be hoping it isn’t just 500K a season thrown away. And if it doesn’t work out for Hunt, what next? I can’t see League nor Union throwing the big sums at him after being out of the game for 3 years, he will have to work hard to re-establish himself in either code on an incentive type contract.
Lot of money for the AFL just to get some publicity for the new GC side, that will only attract non-AFL viewers most times, once, for the curiosity factor.
July 29th 2009 @ 12:29pm
megatron said | July 29th 2009 @ 12:29pm | Report comment
Massive news. I’d be worried if I was the NRL.
July 29th 2009 @ 12:40pm
Chop said | July 29th 2009 @ 12:40pm | Report comment
The NRL will not be worried in the slightest. They have had a surge of people leaving the NRL for Union and UK Superleague for years and if anything the game is still getting better and better which is why their players are targeted.
I know this will rub the Union and AFL extremists the wrong way but the NRL players are amongst the best athletes in the world (not that Union and AFL players aren’t) and the NRL players have lots of attributes that both AFL and Union find attractive which is why is it targeted. The NRL can’t match the money so they leave, not necessarily because the players think it’s a better game(some may think that), but they are maximising their earnings in a limited lifespan.
July 29th 2009 @ 12:43pm
Dogs Of War said | July 29th 2009 @ 12:43pm | Report comment
Not to mention that it shows younger players who are at a crossroads in choosing a sport, that the NRL can offer you an opportunity if you are good enough, to have a go at any sport like Union or AFL.
AFL has more to fear, as there isn’t a surge of AFL players coming the opposite way, in fact, once you can’t cut it in the AFL, your career as a professional player is all but over. While the NRL offers opportunities overseas and the like.
As time goes on, kids will be more attune to this situation, League, Union and Soccer provide much better career paths than AFL does.
July 29th 2009 @ 12:32pm
Dogs Of War said | July 29th 2009 @ 12:32pm | Report comment
Worried about what exactly? SBW and Gasnier were much better players, with much bigger profiles, and no one misses then now. Just means more opportunities for young players coming through the Toyota Cup system.
July 29th 2009 @ 2:43pm
Dave said | July 29th 2009 @ 2:43pm | Report comment
NSW missed Gasnier and Gower in state of origin this year
July 29th 2009 @ 12:40pm
Towser said | July 29th 2009 @ 12:40pm | Report comment
What stood out for me was “International”. What happened to pride in wearing your national colours & representing your country. Surely the greatest honour for any sportsperson. Apparently not nowadays. I doubt blokes like Reg Gasnier would have turned their back on International league to play another sport.
July 29th 2009 @ 2:46pm
Dave said | July 29th 2009 @ 2:46pm | Report comment
Rugby league was invented by people leaving another sport to play, it’s not new. Its professional sport.
July 29th 2009 @ 6:21pm
Steffy said | July 29th 2009 @ 6:21pm | Report comment
They didn’t leave another sport, they just formed a new governing body – they played rugby before the split and continued to play rugby after the split.
July 30th 2009 @ 12:09pm
Dave said | July 30th 2009 @ 12:09pm | Report comment
yes but blokes liek reg gasnier played for St George shich had the first of the super Leagues Clubs. Therefore, they were able to play players more than other teams and then recruit players like Johhny Raper from other clubs.
July 29th 2009 @ 12:41pm
Tigerface said | July 29th 2009 @ 12:41pm | Report comment
This kind of proves what terrible sports NRL and AFL are. Think about it. This is a damning indictment on the skill level and quality of both sports.
Embrassing for the NRL but in my view more embrassing for the AFL.
NRL and AFL prove to the world how basic they are as sports.
July 29th 2009 @ 12:46pm
Dogs Of War said | July 29th 2009 @ 12:46pm | Report comment
All sports are basic, that’s make makes them enjoyable to play as they are easy to pick up and understand, while hard to master as people need to learn the little things that make them better than the bloke next door.
Geez, if you want a basic sport, you only have to look at Soccer, easiest sport ever to play, yet one of the hardest to master.
July 29th 2009 @ 3:47pm
Mushi said | July 29th 2009 @ 3:47pm | Report comment
Couldn’t disagree more. The differences between union and league is enough to cause the failure of many converts.
If you think sports are simply, you’ve never had to coach.
July 29th 2009 @ 2:47pm
Dave said | July 29th 2009 @ 2:47pm | Report comment
NRL and AFL are not basic sports.
July 29th 2009 @ 12:43pm
Pippinu said | July 29th 2009 @ 12:43pm | Report comment
Firstly, let’s snuff out this code war bull shit (that some of the articles coming on line are talking up).
This has very little to do with the AFL and the NRL.
This is about Hunt making a personal decision on his career, albeit, a bizarre one.
He has a background in aussie rules, and was actually scouted by the Lions as a 17 year old (around the time he was joining the Broncos).
The thing that makes this scenario such a rarity is that it’s someone who has achieved so much (we’re talking top tier), and who had offers to play rugby overseas as well – it’s rare for someone like that to take a plunge on aussie rules (more than rare – unheard of!!).
So it’s full of fascination and intrigue, that’s for sure.
But once again, this is about someone’s personal choice (he could just as easily have signed with the Lions as a 17 year old), it’s got nothing to do with what the AFL/NRL may or may not be doing.
I’m actually curious about how the new GC outfit cottoned on to the idea. By all accounts, the coach, Guy McKenna, only knows of him from SOO, he actually hasn’t talked to Hunt or anything like that.
It smacks of having feelers very, very deep in the NRL system!!
July 29th 2009 @ 1:31pm
AndyRoo said | July 29th 2009 @ 1:31pm | Report comment
Like you Pip i find the code wars the least interesting thing about this decision.
It just seems so odd because both AFL and League have salary caps so the money is arround the same.
It just doesn’t fit with my perception of footballers doing everything for the money and dodgy publicity stunts.
The guy is even prepared to play a season in the VFL!
Certainly a lot more interesting than seeing wingers go from league to union.
July 29th 2009 @ 12:46pm
Tom said | July 29th 2009 @ 12:46pm | Report comment
I don’t think the NRL has any reason to be worried about this. I very much doubt this is the start of an exodus.
I don’t really know a lot about this guy, aside from him being very highly rated, but it seems like he had plenty of options to make more money in rugby and has chosen this option for the sheer challenge of it. And I think that should get him a lot of respect if nothing else.
The real issue is a physical one. He doesn’t have the typical body shape of an AFL footballer. He won’t have the stamina (at least early on) to be a midfielder and he’s not tall enough (181cm) to be a key position player. McKenna might be thinking about him as a half back flanker bursting down the wings, but they tend to be excellent kicks of the ball.
July 29th 2009 @ 12:48pm
Dogs Of War said | July 29th 2009 @ 12:48pm | Report comment
Fullback which he plays is very demanding, not to mention that he plays the entire 80 mins, and will probably enjoy being subbed constantly to get a breather in AFL, something he isn’t familiar with in league.
Actually it will probably answer the question if AFL is that tough after all.
July 29th 2009 @ 3:51pm
Mushi said | July 29th 2009 @ 3:51pm | Report comment
AFL players run a truck load further than an NRL fullback even suggesting it roughly equivalent is almost laughable.
Cullen even said in his “good luck to him” speech that he’ll need to increase his fitness a lot.