Is Karmichael Hunt the worst player in AFL?
Roar Guru By AlfredC, 20 May 2011 Alfred Chan is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- 2011 AFL season, AFL, AFL expansion, Gold Coast Suns, Guy McKenna, Israel Folau, Karmichael Hunt
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Karmichael Hunt of the Gold Coast in action during the AFL NAB Cup Round 02 match between the GWS Giants and the Gold Coast Suns at Blacktown Olympic Park, Blacktown.
When one player is commanding a $1.5m salary to play AFL football, not even a Gold Coast bye round will keep him out of the media.
With the Gold Coast bye this round, Karmichael Hunt is set to receive a deserved rest after playing every Suns game to date. In the space of time, Gold Coast has surpassed many pundits’ predictions by pulling off wins against Port Adelaide and Brisbane.
Few can argue that the Suns are developing quickly and look nothing of the team which somewhat embarrassed our code in Round 2 against Carlton.
Hunt himself has improved a long way, which is evident in his confidence to kick the ball forward and crash packs without taking out his own players.
I assume he apologised to Michael Rischitelli. Defying more conventional game plans for defenders, Hunt’s role each week revolves around himself rather than opposition forwards. Each game he learns more about the game and how it is played, is deemed a success thus he retains his position.
Shutting down an opposition forward is an added bonus. To this criterion, Hunt has certainly had a successful season to date and will look to ‘learn more’ following the bye.
Standing at 186cm and 92kg, Hunt does not conform to any traditional defenders role. He does not possess the height or vertical leap to play on the talls but lacks the acceleration and engine to run with the smalls. Nor does he have the disposal ability by foot to play as a flanker.
Coming from rugby, his tackling was expected to be fierce, frantic, ferocious and feared. He has laid 10 from seven matches. Frivolous may be a better word.
Because of this, there is no logical opponent for Hunt each week which has reflected dearly on his performance. Taking a look at his opponent each week, medium forwards are reveling in the moment when Hunt walks toward them before the bounce.
Round 2: Andrew Walker – five goals.
Round 3: Josh Hill – two goals.
Round 4: Liam Jurrah – three goals.
Round 5: Daniel Motlop – four goals.
Round 6: Kyle Reimers – eight goals.
Round 7: Ash McGrath – six goals.
Round 8: Patrick Dangerfield – six goals.
Conceding 20 goals in the previous three games highlight the toll AFL football is having on his body, and the bye looks to have come at a perfect time for him after Guy McKenna would have rested him against Adelaide had it not been for the bye this week.
Although not all of those goals are the direct result of Hunt, most have resulted because the Suns lack the support to assist Hunt when coaches target the Hunt match-up, as they are entitled to.
With the guidance of McKenna, Hunt plays in defence so that he can see the entire field in front of him, therefore maximising his opportunity to ‘read the play’. This of course has given oppositions a major flaw in the Gold Coast back line to exploit.
Due to his salary and marketing opportunity, Hunt is unlikely to be dropped due to leaking too many goals. Right now he wouldn’t VFL selection.
To his credit, McKenna is very reluctant to play a loose man in defence to ‘minimise the damage’ which means Hunt will always have a direct opponent. He now understands ball flow within the game and the importance of holding structure and is reflecting on the Suns improvements.
Hunt is the most expensive player on the payroll and scoreboard but to say he is the worst player in the league would be ridiculous because he is being asked to play an unprecedented role and meets the coaching panel’s objectives by showing signs of improvement.
There are many players across the league that fail to do what their coaches ask of them.
With a week off, it looks like Hunt will continue to struggle at AFL level when the Suns resume.
Nevertheless, Israel Folau should feel quietly confident that his body shape will be much more appreciated by our code.
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- Explore:
- 2011 AFL season, AFL, AFL expansion, Gold Coast Suns, Guy McKenna, Israel Folau, Karmichael Hunt
May 20th 2011 @ 5:38am
SideShowBob said | May 20th 2011 @ 5:38am | Report comment
Worst player? No.
Probably the best paid lower tier player though.
May 21st 2011 @ 12:01am
The recalcitrant said | May 21st 2011 @ 12:01am | Report comment
So, with that, who in the entire league is Hunt actually better than?
Watched him play a couple of times close up at Docklands and he seems too short and too slow to play at that level. I don’t think he would even do terribly well in one of the suburban comps.
He just does not do the basic stuff you are taught at underage level, such as being front and centre if not in the contest, applying pressure on the ballholder, smothering, shepherding, following up.
If I was coaching him, and they were seriously going to continue with this charade then get him to play short sided games everyday, even against underage players. Just to pick up the moves.
Maybe if he sticks at it for 5 or 6 years he will get to a level to justify keeping a real footy player out of the team. I doubt it is good for his ego all this. Classic case of seemed like a good idea at the time.
May 21st 2011 @ 5:35pm
woodsman said | May 21st 2011 @ 5:35pm | Report comment
He’s better than Tom Hawkins and Port Adelaide’s forward line.
May 25th 2011 @ 3:43pm
simonjzw said | May 25th 2011 @ 3:43pm | Report comment
and he’s a better kick than shaun dempster
May 20th 2011 @ 5:40am
Toa said | May 20th 2011 @ 5:40am | Report comment
Wait for it……….this thread is about to unleash the most prolific assaults this site have ever seen……karmichaels taken a few bombs in his time nothing like the rain thats coming his way……lock and load GoGWS & co time to bring the thunder…….
May 20th 2011 @ 6:24am
ChrisH said | May 20th 2011 @ 6:24am | Report comment
Very inflammatory headline to your article Alfred, especially as you come out and say it would be ridiculous to suggest a positive answer to that question. Hunt is doing ok after 8 games. Would expect more “crashing of packs” and some in and under in the packs. I don’t see much of that from him at all. Anyway, Brent Renouf from Hawthorn is the worst player I’ve ever seen play the game (well almost).
May 20th 2011 @ 7:02am
The_Wookie said | May 20th 2011 @ 7:02am | Report comment
Any side with a weak defence is going to have goals kicked on its defenders, doesnt matter how good they are if the supply is overwhelming. The entire gold coast team is young and inexperienced and this means that its a steep learning curve for everyone in that back line in their first AFL season.
Way too early to make this call.
May 20th 2011 @ 7:46am
elbusto said | May 20th 2011 @ 7:46am | Report comment
The question is a fair one. This lad is paid 1.5 million dollars a year to play a game. Is he any good at it? No. Is he worth that amount of money to play the game? No. Is it all about the publicity? Yes. As such, let us stop pretending that he is anything more than an overpaid Demetriou stooge.
May 20th 2011 @ 9:08am
The_Wookie said | May 20th 2011 @ 9:08am | Report comment
most of his money is paid to market the game. a small part is his playing wage.
May 20th 2011 @ 9:11am
Redb said | May 20th 2011 @ 9:11am | Report comment
Simple analysis – misses the point as usual. Bitter much.
May 20th 2011 @ 10:21am
elbusto said | May 20th 2011 @ 10:21am | Report comment
Simple analysis because it is that simple. Not bitter but somewhat intrigued that Hunt has been paid so much money by two different code, AFL and Rugby, to play at such an ordinary level.
If anybody should be bitter it is the AFL players with three times his ability getting paid 20% of his wage.
May 20th 2011 @ 10:38am
Redb said | May 20th 2011 @ 10:38am | Report comment
yes I know thats what your hoping the reality is different, AFL players understand the promotional element of Hunt & Folau its really not that hard to understand, but some struggle.
In fact, Hunt has said he hasnt copped one jibe money related or not, some opposition players even told him he’ going Ok. Far cry from being bitter lol
May 20th 2011 @ 10:43am
elbusto said | May 20th 2011 @ 10:43am | Report comment
Hunt is saying what he is told to say. That is obvious. And as for what I ‘hope’, and what I feel ‘bitter’ about, you are in no position to judge so please do not bother.
Anybody looking outside in at this deal with Hunt knows it for what it is. Its a publicity stunt. Players on $200,00 to $300,00 a year must be thrilled. Apparently he is worth 7 times more than them.
.
May 20th 2011 @ 11:21am
Redb said | May 20th 2011 @ 11:21am | Report comment
yes elbusto, The AFL has secretly planted an earpiece in Hunt & Folau.
May 20th 2011 @ 5:59pm
Xman said | May 20th 2011 @ 5:59pm | Report comment
As already stated their pay is for promotion only. As players they aren’t worth squat. Anybody can see that.
Yes KHunt is the worst player in the AFL. Is anyone surprised? After all, where did he learn his skills? A skill-less code that’s where.
May 20th 2011 @ 5:13pm
Football United said | May 20th 2011 @ 5:13pm | Report comment
he’s been paid by 3 codes. he went to biarittz in union after leaving league
May 20th 2011 @ 7:54am
Football United said | May 20th 2011 @ 7:54am | Report comment
it was a bit short-sided thinking he would become a tackle machine in AFL. there is too much space and players running in different directions as opposed to league and union where generally everyone runs forward and is much more compact, hence making it easier to tackle. plus the role of the tackle is different in both games now making it tricky, as in Rugby and League, you tackle to put the opposition on the deck, while in AFL you tackle to stop the opposing player disposing. tricky lesson for a convert i think
May 20th 2011 @ 8:11am
Timnaik said | May 20th 2011 @ 8:11am | Report comment
Definitely a resounding YES! This guy is shocking. Even my two-year-old can kick straighter than him. KH would be ordinary in park football. Give up!
May 20th 2011 @ 9:12am
Redb said | May 20th 2011 @ 9:12am | Report comment
Hunt would be the player who has played the least number of games of footy in AFL ranks, cut him some slack.
May 20th 2011 @ 2:07pm
Pikelet said | May 20th 2011 @ 2:07pm | Report comment
Redb, 1.5 Million dollar salary cuts him no slack at all, I’m sorry to say. If the AFL where serious about this bloke making the transition, they would have done it the right way, by bringing him in on a wage relevant to his experience. By signing him on a larger pay packet than most other AFL players, they have immediately put a target on his back. He will get no slack from me as he is hindering the progress of the Suns and surely providing a headache to McKenna every week. What a terrible position for a coach to be in, where the powers that be have made it plain that Hunt should play as many games as possible. I’m glad we don’t have this pathetic beauracy in Rugby League!
May 20th 2011 @ 2:16pm
Redb said | May 20th 2011 @ 2:16pm | Report comment
A few points:
Hunt can be dropped and was considered last week.
The Suns are a developing team in 2011 earmarked for 3-5 wins at the most this season, he wont cost them a final spot or a premiership.
Hunt needs games to develop not less and is actually getting better as a result.
Of course the promotional money is huge, its a huge risk for Hunt’s reputation. The money had to be good, as we have seen the critics are lining up – not an easy gig.
The Suns benefit from the exposure/controversy/curiosity Hunt’s recruitment has created, this is alreadly apparent, given the Foxtel ratings they have already acheived.
p.s. If RL’s admin is so good why are they kicking them out?
May 20th 2011 @ 3:36pm
Pikelet said | May 20th 2011 @ 3:36pm | Report comment
Yeah but he wasn’t dropped was he Redb. The heaviest criticism of Hunt is coming from within the AFL and withe chorus getting louder amongst former players that he should be dropped or even sent back to the seconds for the rest of the yera, surely the intimation that Hunt would sit out against Adelaide was nothing more than ruse, aimed squarely at long time AFL fans that “Yes, this bloke is accountable for his poor performances”.
I take your point that Hunt is in a developing team, but I ask what kind of development a team can have when younger, better players being left out of the side because of a publicity stunt? Sounds like a stunted development to me.
I agree Hunt needs as much game time as he can get, but is it in the long term best interest of the Suns to have him blocking younger, more talented players from getting AFL exposure now??
Yep. The money was huge and you wouldn’t have got him without it, but I guarantee you both Hunt and Folau will be back in the NRL in next few years, talking about the ‘novelty’ that was the AFL and any publicity the AFL may have picked up from this whole debacle will be quickly lost.
You see Redb, us League fans are only really watching for the novelty value of seeing someone that we’re familiar with running around in another sport and the thing about Rugby League is that we produce so many stars so quickly, that we will have forgotten about Karmichael before the end of the year and the AFL will have a million dollar mercenary running around with no return.
pps. We don’t kick em out champ, everybody knows we have the best athletes and they are more than willing to take big money to play an easier sport, then come back and laugh about it all.
May 20th 2011 @ 5:34pm
Bruce said | May 20th 2011 @ 5:34pm | Report comment
Amen to that brother!
May 20th 2011 @ 5:56pm
Pikelet said | May 20th 2011 @ 5:56pm | Report comment
Yep. Thats what I thought.
May 20th 2011 @ 6:31pm
The Cattery said | May 20th 2011 @ 6:31pm | Report comment
I can imagine Hunt and Folau having a bit of a laugh when they waltz back into their former team mates’ dressing rooms with their brand new lean, trim, athletic bods, but it won’t seem as funny when they start putting the blubber back on by the end of the season!
May 20th 2011 @ 7:34pm
Bruce said | May 20th 2011 @ 7:34pm | Report comment
Fat jibes. That suggests you’ve spent too much time looking in the mirror.
May 20th 2011 @ 7:38pm
The Cattery said | May 20th 2011 @ 7:38pm | Report comment
Bruce
admittedly, I’m not the lithe, rippling athlete I once was when I played footy, and yes, I could probably lose a few kilos, but I’m quite comfortable with things, and I am still in a position where I can demand my conjugal rights and duly receive them.
May 20th 2011 @ 11:34pm
Bruce said | May 20th 2011 @ 11:34pm | Report comment
Demand your conjugal rights? Not quite husband of the year material!
May 20th 2011 @ 11:53pm
The Cattery said | May 20th 2011 @ 11:53pm | Report comment
Well, I never owned up to being some sort of SNAG!
May 21st 2011 @ 3:03pm
Redb said | May 21st 2011 @ 3:03pm | Report comment
You see pikelet, you don’t represent all rugby league fans and your comments about the easier sport are well, laughable. You just contradicted yourself by suggesting he’s holding back the younger players and should be dropped, yet he is playing an ‘easy’ sport.
All the evidence to the contrary both Hunt & Folau are finding out its far from easy.
As for your best athletes, impossible to back up as I don’t see the best young talent from Victoria, WA, SA or Tasmania playing rugby league, far from it.
There are far more AFL players than NRL players in Australia – yours is a ridiculous boast. Hunt & Folau are good athletes but there is bigger picture.
The NRL wishes it could do the reverse, in fact Craig Bellamy one of your biggest RL coaches has said he’d be willing to look at the kids that miss out on being drafted into the AFL. That is the AFL’s rejects. Kinda destroys your argument.
May 22nd 2011 @ 7:34pm
The Cattery said | May 22nd 2011 @ 7:34pm | Report comment
The other thing to add is that we have a draft, and something like 80 teenagers out of 1,800 who nominate each year for the draft will be picked up.
Is that a high ratio? It might be, I don’t really know, but if anyone wants to earn an easy $300,000 per annum as a professional footballer, all you have to do is put your name in the draft.
If you want to focus on harder, more skilled sports, that’s fine, it’s a free country, just be prepared to earn far less, or even to not earn anything at all.
May 23rd 2011 @ 4:21pm
Pikelet said | May 23rd 2011 @ 4:21pm | Report comment
Wow! RedB, is that really all you got?? I am bored with this now but let me just point were you are wrong.
1. Hunt doesn’t need to perform well. Like I said before he is there no matter what, so he can continue to block younger better players because of beaucracy. AFL is softer and easier, that is pretty easy to justify when you look at the average length of a Rugby League career compared to an AFL one and the injuries a RL player suffers compared to AFL.
2. I said BEST athlete’s not most juniors (nice try). How come there is no 1st year players from WA on million dollar contracts??
3. I think that’s admirable for Craig (the Melbourne) coach to say he’d have a look at kids that didn’t get drafted. I’ll tell you this for free though, we wouldn’t be paying them 6 Million dollars! while telling everyone how good they are!
In my opinion, the best judge of a sport is what outsiders think of it when they see it for the first time and when people from overseas see RL for the first time they all say “wow!” When these same people see AFL for the first time… unfortunatley they laugh.
In my opinion, AFL is one ‘stop step’ away from being mens netball. Not my cup of tea.
May 24th 2011 @ 10:55am
Redb said | May 24th 2011 @ 10:55am | Report comment
Wow Pikelet bored so much you responded with more drivel. By your response I guess it must have shattered some of your beliefs.
i suggest you go to an AFL game, plenty of Sydney people do.
May 26th 2011 @ 10:59am
Bayman said | May 26th 2011 @ 10:59am | Report comment
Pikey,
A very nice line in the tradition of code wars. I happily follow both RL and AFL and I live in Sydney.
You may be right about Hunt and Folau eventually going back to RL but presumably it could also be said that the reason may well be they just could not succeed at the AFL code. So they’ve gone back to a simpler, easier game for them to play Sort of the opposite view to your “pps”.
Speaking of which, your “best athletes” comment was presumably just to annoy AFL fans because, clearly, in a game where half of each team have no necks and an arse as big as Momma Cass, then “best athletes” might best be described as a throw away line.
I agree Billy Slater is an excitement machine, love watching him play. He moves like an AFL player. Uate looks like he’ll be an exciting player to watch in future. But let’s face it, for every Slater there’s a dozen slugs like Inglis or “Piggy” Riddell. Half of all RL players could not run out of sight in a fog. Strong, maybe, but athletic….I don’t think so.
May 20th 2011 @ 9:13am
GoGWS said | May 20th 2011 @ 9:13am | Report comment
yes…don’t know about lock and load Toa… the question is in the same category as “is the sky blue?”…duh…yes…he’s not just worst in the AFL this season but in the last 20 seasons…I can’t think of anyone who goes close to Hunt…but he is in a unique position – he’ll be played no matter how bad his form…other clubs simply would drop players like Hunt to reserves…
May 20th 2011 @ 9:23am
GoGWS said | May 20th 2011 @ 9:23am | Report comment
To argue against myself, I will say he has improved a bit….but he is starting from a very low base.
May 20th 2011 @ 10:22am
elbusto said | May 20th 2011 @ 10:22am | Report comment
Totally agree. They cannot drop him as it would then look like the whole exercise has failed.
May 20th 2011 @ 3:52pm
Toa said | May 20th 2011 @ 3:52pm | Report comment
GoGWS,
Thought you might have enjoyed the intro…..Nothing like a drum roll to ramp up an anti ‘k’ rage..hehe ☺
May 20th 2011 @ 9:15am
gurudoright said | May 20th 2011 @ 9:15am | Report comment
“most of his money is paid to market the game. a small part is his playing wage.”
So how much is he getting paid to play and how much is he getting paid to promote the game?