Brisbane Broncos rugby league player Karmichael Hunt kicks an AFL football. AAP Image/Patrick Hamilton
The Melbourne Rebels haven’t ruled out the prospect of luring an AFL player to cross codes to rugby, but won’t be going out of their way to do so just for publicity.
New Rebels coach Rod Macqueen said the right AFL player could be a welcome addition to his fledgling Super 15 side when they join the competition next year.
But he and club chairman Harold Mitchell have ruled out any cross-code signing as an attention-seeking exercise in AFL-mad Melbourne, saying any player lured would have to be able to hold his own in rugby.
“If I could find someone who tackles, yeah,” Macqueen said of the possibility of signing an AFL player, only half-jokingly after his appointment on Wednesday to the Rebels’ top job.
“Certainly there’s a lot of skills in AFL. There’s obviously a big difference between the two games but there’s no reason they can’t (cross codes from AFL to union).
“There’s many players that have crossed codes (between union and league). Rugby is a game for all shapes and sizes.”
Mitchell, who has made his fortune as Australia’s biggest media advertising buyer, said getting a big-name player to lift the club’s profile in the marketplace was something he did not believe the Rebels would need.
New AFL club Gold Coast poached Test rugby league star Karmichael Hunt in a shock move which put the club well and truly on the sporting map without having even kicked a ball.
But Mitchell pointed to the support for rugby Tests held in Melbourne as proof there is a ready-made market for the game.
“I’ve been amazed, fascinated and delighted of the response of this city to sports generally and to rugby,” Mitchell said.
“We’ve had 10 or 11 major rugby games in the past decade here and the crowd has been an average of just on 50,000 so there’s a support for (rugby) there.
“That says a lot about what rugby is, rather than anything to do with just one individual.”
One thing Macqueen did emphatically rule out was any wholesale player plunder of rugby league’s Melbourne Storm.
Ex-Storm chief executive Brian Waldron has been appointed CEO of the Rebels and comes with an intimate knowledge of the contracts of some of rugby league’s best players.
But Macqueen said his organisation would rather work alongside the Storm and hoped to have a good working relationship with the cross-code rivals.
AndyRoo
Roar Guru
I think it depends how long your out of it. Coaches seem to go up in value the longer they are out of action :) I would say his value most likely won't go down but he will have less choice of where he goes, with probably clubs that had a poor last season the most interested in him.
B.C.
Guest
It appears that the general consensus on K. Hunt switching codes is that he will struggle to crack the elite level of AFL. Given that if this is the outcome, although, I personally would love to see him succeed, I wonder if there have already been R.U or R.L clubs approach him to make an offer once his contract with G.C expires. Also would he have devalued his worth in the meantime by having been out of the game? All hypothetical, but I wonder.
jimbo
Guest
Keiran Jack might be a better AFL to rugby convert - his dad Garry was a Rugby League player and international.
Elbusto
Guest
Even in our little Rugby League and Union Comps in Tassie fullback is the easiest position to slot AFL players into. And they make bloody good full backs too.
Michael C
Roar Guru
Google him. Didn't you read Maddog's post immediately prior to mine??
Michael C
Roar Guru
actually Lazza - come to think of it, a couple of Victorian bowlers of late - Mick Lewis and Dirk Nannes are examples of 'late' arrivals in the cricketing world. Sure - they might've benefitted more (international career wise) from focussing on cricket from an earlier age.
Michael C
Roar Guru
the Collingwood basketballer also had played good junior soccer and grid iron growing up - so, he's got a bit of muscle memory outside of basketball to draw upon and refine. It was probably this aspect that helped him impress Collingwood when they gave him a 2 week try out, and his rate of improvement and attitude was such that they gave him a 3rd week and then signed him up......but, still 'just' as an international rookie.
Dogz R Barkn
Roar Guru
I think it's widely acknowledged that the full back position in both rugbies has the greatest crossover potential with AFL. Both Hunt and Pyke were full backs, and I've heard that James O'Connor (occasional full back) was sounded out by the AFL at one point. But anyway, it's all academic, such crossovers are inordinately difficult and require a massive effort from both the individual and club just to make it to a below-average standard.
AJ
Guest
The fullback position in Rugby is not to different to the loose man in defense role used in footballl (aside from the obvious code differences) By this I mean the need to read the build up of play and move to a position where they can best negate the oppositions attacking play. I know at college we played rugby once a year (we had to combine colleges because there were only 7-8 players at each of the colleges) and without exception the fullback was always a footballer.
Michael C
Roar Guru
I severely doubt that Hayne would've seriously been on anyones radar unless he'd been on AFL talent scouts radar as a 15 yr old. K.Hunt was on AFL talent scouts radar as a 15 yr old - he didn't have to play much footy to stand out which illustrates what a talent he was regarded. Now - a historical player - such as a Wayne Carey - who grew up in Wagga and played both Rugby and footy growing up (fair enough - I think it was more RL), but, in that situation - let's say he'd played RU + footy growing up - it might've taken 2 miilion a year to lure him...... presently I don't really see the examples floating around - sure, there's some kids who've played a bit of rugby U or L growing up - but, the PR value of converting back guys like Lewis Roberts-Thompson, Matthew Stokes, or Paul Bevan probably doesn't stack up higher enough.
PastHisBest
Roar Guru
And both ways. Unlikely.
Dean Pantio
Guest
Can he pass? Doubt it.
Dean Pantio
Guest
Mike played fullback. It would be a very long time (if ever) he joined a lineout.
Temba
Guest
I think the right AFL player (if he can learn to defend) will make a great 15. He would be awesome under the highball and we all know about the kicking skills. Problem is a full back needs experience to read the game and predict play... this cannot be picked up in a couple of seasons. Cant see them on the wing, wont work in the forward at all so positions they cant play 1,2,3, (4,5 Possibly) 6,7,8,9,10,12,13(maybe) Nope unless they have played some form of union in their life before they won’t fit in super rugby. It takes years to learn the finer details of the game.
Siva Samoa
Guest
how much is aloisi on at sydney fc ? i will think matt giteau will be the highest paid rugby union player follow by lote tuqiri but he was sacked last year. i think george smith and motlock aren't to far off those two.
jimbo
Guest
Its not really the players' ability or rugby skills that count, but more the publicity value. Carmichael Hunt probably won't get a start at GC and Jarrod Hayne wouldn't have either if he took the AFL money to go to GWS. They are high profile League players and have publicity value to get bums on government paid for AFL seats, which is more important to them. If the Rebel's could sign Ben Cousins or Brendan Favola that would certainly get a mention in the southern AFL media and some much needed publicity for the Rebels.
jimbo
Guest
The highest paid local footballer of any code is John Aloisi at Sydney FC.
Elbusto
Guest
sorry - who is Mike Pyke?
Elbusto
Guest
Mike - this is a Rugby discussion. How come you managed too write such a long tedious post about AFL? Answer .. you always do ....
Hansie
Guest
Not in practice. A lot of that salary was Firepower money, which was promised but never delivered. My point was that AFL players are very well paid by Australian football code standards, and rugby could not afford to pay any sort of premium to attract AFL players across the divide. I doubt any AFL player would take the risk of changing without a heavy financial inducement.