Exuberant Richmond spearhead Jack Riewoldt and St Kilda livewire Stephen Milne have unknowingly helped prepare code-crossing Karmichael Hunt for his first senior Australian Rules match.
Hunt sat with Gold Coast’s forward coach Ken Hinkley last Friday night at Etihad Stadium and studied the pair in action to get a better understanding of the role of a forward.
Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna said Hunt, who will line-up at full-forward against Coburg in the VFL match at Craigieburn on Saturday, got an insight into the role and the tactics of both a big-marking forward and a small one by watching Riewoldt and Milne.
“He sat with Kenny on Friday night and watched the game and had a look at Jack Riewoldt, so I am sure he will be jumping for everything that comes in the forward 50m,” McKenna said.
“He targeted a few forwards on Friday night and even Stephen Milne for example.
“(They’re) different size and shape, but that’s their forward structure for St Kilda and he watched Richmond’s, and he tracked those blokes for a half during Friday night’s game.
“But ultimately we want him to be Karmichael Hunt, Gold Coast full-forward.”
Hunt’s first game will be an experiment of sorts as McKenna is unsure which, if any rules, the former Bronco fully comprehends.
If I asked him now to do an examination, I reckon he would get all of them wrong,” McKenna said.
“When he actually sees them and lives them, I think he will get a better understanding of them.”
McKenna has told Hunt to stop being a nice guy at training and start laying full blown tackles.
“The hard thing for him, is he is taking it a bit easy on the boys,” McKenna said.
“I told him, `if you want to hit them, hit them’.
“As soon as they get used to it the better we will be.”
During Wednesday morning’s training session, Hunt completed a number of goal kicking and forward drills, preferring to kick on his right foot when given the choice but also proving very capable at kicking beyond 40m.
Gold Coast’s mature rookie Michael Coad is expected to be released from a Melbourne hospital on Friday after spending the most of the week in intensive care following a serious kidney injury sustained last weekend.
It is expected he will return with the side on Saturday night.
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