Karmichael Hunt of Gold Coast in action during the VFL Round 09 match between the Coburg Tigers and Gold Coast at Highgate Recreation Reserve, Melbourne. Slattery Images
It wasn’t meant to be like this. Quite the opposite, actually. This was meant to be the piece that waxed lyrical on why Karmichael Hunt will be humiliated by superior athletes playing the superior code of football when he joins the big boys next year. AFL hubris and all that.
Like most sports followers, I have been a keen observer of the Karmichael Hunt experiment since it was first announced that he would switch codes from rugby league to Australian Rules Football.
In the time since that announcement, I have lurched from thinking the transition was laughable, curious, marketing genius, and destined to be an on-field disaster.
All of this changed recently, and for the first time I believe Hunt will be an on-field success.
Hunt won’t win a Brownlow, he won’t star every match, and he is unlikely to feature in the best players on a weekly basis or top the possession getters. Success for Hunt will be marked by his ability to hold his position in the Gold Coast side on merit, and give weight to the idea that we are entering the era of the freelance sport-switching athlete.
Why the change of heart?
Hunt’s first outing for the Gold Coast side in the VFL earlier this year saw him play full-forward and he looked hopelessly out of his depth. Playing forward of the ball requires an understanding of the game that Hunt was clearly bereft of. He was a lamb to the slaughter, and the media had the knives at the ready.
In the past few weeks, Hunt has played in the backline and has started to prove his worth, featuring in the best players the past two matches.
Hunt seems well suited to defence, where his opponent can take him to the contest and bring him into the play while he continues to adapt to the new code.
Watching highlights of Hunt playing for the Gold Coast Suns on the weekend, for the first time he looked like an AFL player, rather than a rugby league player making a clumsy attempt at a foreign code of football.
Hunt exhibited the nuanced movements of an AFL player, an awareness of those around him, how and when to dispose of the ball.
Despite starting out as a curiosity of the league, there exists a growing chorus of people who believe Hunt can be a success in the AFL.
Having expected little from Hunt prior to seeing him play, St Kilda assistant coach Andy Lovell was impressed with Hunt’s efforts.
“His ability to win one-on-one footy in the back half was really strong and when he got it he made some really good decisions with the ball.”
“He showed some composure under pressure down back and he made some good decisions,” Lovell said.
Once he has secured the lucre on offer from the AFL, Hunt may well move back to rugby league – as many have speculated. But he will do so on his own terms, and will not leave the AFL as the farcical circus-act that many predicted.
beaver fever
Guest
I had forgotten about him, if in fact he does not get a decent run at the Saints, it may be worth his while looking at the GC, if he is keen on staying in Australia. I did notice another Irishman, Hanley got a run for the Lions on the weekend, but they do have a long injury list at the Lions. The Irish boy Collingwood signed plays for the same team as Martin Clarke, i wonder if he is thinking of coming back ??., or had some influence on Mooneys descision.
HK47
Roar Rookie
22 Year old Tommy Walsh signed with St. Kilda at the conclusion of their 2009 season. he was a gaelic Football "prodigy" that County Kerry hoped they wouldn't lose. He played In St. Kilda's NAB cup round 1 win over Collingwood.. he was later described as running around like headless chicken. For St. Kilda's VFL affiliate Sandringham, he has played both at CHB and CHF with some success. Looks comfortable at CHB and is actually quite good at it, and usually kicks a goal when in the Forward line (kicked 2 goals 3 behinds at one point). However. the earliest he''lll play a "full match" will probably be the AFL's strange Twenty20 Carnival games next year. Now, coming from a game very similar to aussie rules, he has taken a long time to develop, however had st. Kilda been a developing team, he may have played 6-10 matches because of Good VFL performances. Karmichael hunt has had Good VFL performances, and is playing in a developing team. I know where I stand.
beaver fever
Guest
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/8898515.stm Bet you this guy did not cost as much as Hunt, no publicity but very big upside. It appears that Collingwood cannot be stopped ATM. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqvcpUTgKoE
beaver fever
Guest
Yeronga are State Association 1st division, which in reality is 3rd division, with both the QAFL and Pineapple cup above it, please look at the fixtures, Yeronga are a suburban lower grade footy team, not a State league team. http://www.sportingpulse.com/comp_info.cgi?c=1-109-0-103073-0&a=FIXTURE Yeronga in WA Amatuer footy terms are probably about F or G grade. http://www.wafootball.com.au/waafl/fixtures-and-results Its so far below AFL level, it's funny.
Karlos
Guest
Far less accomplished Rugby League players seem to adapt very quickly. Read this: IF Israel Folau and Karmichael Hunt are chasing any tips on their switch to Australian rules, they need look no further than one man and his name is Lockyer. After an illustrious career with Souths and Easts in the Queensland Cup rugby league competition, Matt Lockyer the younger brother of Maroons skipper Darren joined the Yeronga Devils and has taken to the code with consummate ease. Lockyer, 30, has been a positive force this season for the Devils, playing their last QAFL match of 2010 this weekend against Wynnum. The defender has earned praise from umpires and coaches. “It’s something different and I needed a change in what I was doing I’d had enough of rugby league and I didn’t want to go back and play in the lower grades,” Lockyer said. “My father played (Australian rules) for Morningside and Mt Gravatt and my brothers played, so I was the only one who hadn’t and I was curious about it. “I think it’s a game of instinct and a game of skill, and what I’ve brought across from league is my hand-eye co-ordination and I was taught to kick like an AFL player by my father.” Brother Darren played Aussie rules as a junior, but switched to league when the family moved to Roma. Yeronga South Brisbane Aussie rules coach Chris Ryan praised the younger Lockyer’s ability to adapt to the game so quickly and invited those who doubt the ability of league players to make the switch to come and see for themselves. “The way he has taken to it is amazing it looks like he has been playing for 10 years,” he said. “The little sidestep he has he just steps around them, and his core strength is amazing, he just never goes to ground. “If there is any person in the AFL who wants to know if they (league players) can pick it up they should come and have a look at Matty play.” A versatile rugby league player, much of Lockyer’s ability can be attributed to natural ability, but he concedes he still has a lot to learn and is constantly working to improve. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... I know the QAFL is not in the same ballpark in comparison to the AFL, but we are talking about a bloke who admits he was heading for reserve grade or lower still in the Q Cup who is killing QAFL in his first year. AFL supporters are trying to argue that Hunt and Folau are probably too old to learn the game, but this bloke doesnt seem to find that to be the case. Hunt is almost back to his rugby league playing weight and he is going to blow long time AFL players off the park with his running, stepping defence AND reading of the game.
kick to kick
Guest
Who suggests any sporting achievement comes easy? Just that trans code migration to AFL has worked for several players. I'm sure they all worked their butts off - and the reports suggest that Hunt is applying himself as well.
Michael C
Roar Guru
Just thunked of this - back when the GWS had a big media conference with Folau and Dale Holmes opened with a mention of 3 young kids who'd signed on to GWS, and the question around 'marketing/promotional' value as to whether it's paid off already I guess can be asked by quizzing if anyone can remember those kids names. If you need to cheat, the here's link. Hint - one from Alice Springs (NT), one from Culcain (NSW) one from Finley (NSW)
Michael C
Roar Guru
nice little story. The talk of the side step and core strength,......I look at Ben Cunnington at North at the moment and he was obviously doing that in the junior levels and getting away with it, but, at senior level he hasn't got the strength to hold his ground or break tackles yet. You'd like to see a kid like that who needs to have those traights doing a bit of x-code work with some of the RL fellows.
beaver fever
Roar Pro
http://city-south-news.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/lockyer-plays-devils-advocate/ Lockyer changing codes ??.
Baz35
Guest
Republican, You are entitled to your opinion. I personally support the Hunt decision but not the Izzy, one. I certainly don't want to see wholesale "raids" on the NRL but I think the Hunt one is proving a correct one. Much of his salary is explicitly "marketing" but certainly not completely vacuous. They are trying to start a successful club and he has been instrumental in the promotion of that. They would otherwise have had noone of profile to do this this year for instance, I don't think he will be any better as a player than serviceable in his first three years. I think if he sticks it out into his late 20's he could be a very good player. I believe this on account of his rare athletic talent, significant shared skill sets between the codes and apparently a very impressive professional mindset. I don't share your concerns about the playability of our game but that is just my opinion cheers
john
Guest
The whole idea of marketing AFL in western sydney (a league heartland) by using a QLD player in Folau is completely stupid anyway. The AFL has clearly shown its ignorance by attempting to use a QLD player who made his name in MELBOURNE to promote AFL in western Sydney. Why the die hard league fans would suddenly start supporting a Queenslander in a rival code is ridiculous
wayne maumasi
Guest
where are these 18y olds? who are they? Did any of them play on hunt over the last 2 weeks? The VFL is the 2nd best comp in AUS and hunt is improving at an alarming rate.
GonnaBeBig
Guest
Dont forget Paul Kelly the political correspondent. I bet he could play AFL pretty well :)
Republican
Guest
Michael C Yeah, thanks for the heads up. Wish I had been there for that gig!
Michael C
Roar Guru
btw - great link, I'm playin' it LOUD!!!! watching it's another issue though.......that Ape Girl is concerning to say the least..... 'ave a good evenin' squire!
Michael C
Roar Guru
At one stage we had Stevie Wright, then Paul Kelly and Russell Morris, not a bad line up for one night only!
Midfielder
Guest
Had no idea paul Kelly played AFL .... see link ... have a laugh life is too short ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWhj4sVeVD0
Zac Zavos
Editor
Oikee - everyone on The Roar is sick of people instigating code wars. Any future comments comparing codes and deliberately highjacking the debate will be deleted. Roarers - please stick to the original article topic; and please report comments which derail informed sports debate. Thanks, Zac
Paul J
Guest
At what point can we say the K Hunt/Big Izzy marketing thing has been a success or not? The K Hunt signing had its media circus over a year ago, and big Izzy's signings media circus is now months old, so the AFL have already got their $9 million plus worth of media from each player. Yet the TV ratings in Qld and NSW have not improved, i think they've gone backwards in NSW. The supporters of the signings are saying that we won't see the real value of the signings until years from now. But how? Are the TV ratings in Qld/NSW supposed to increase once K Hunt and Izzy are playing in the AFL? Or are the kids who still don't watch the AFL in Qld and NSW supposed to start watching in 5 years when Izzy is back in the NRL and K Hunt has gone to whichever rugby code pays the most? Or in ten or twenty years when Izzy and K Hunt are retired and living in very big houses?
JVGO
Guest
So what was your point exactly MC? All you seem to be saying is that any 8 year old can master the skills to play AFL. I guess therefore you are implying that it shouldn't be too difficult for these RL novices to master AFL since they are elite athletes. I imagine the AFL wouldn't pay them several million dollars if they didn't think they could do it. As for all this stuff about mastering their demons and self doubts, you have got to be kidding. These guys are footballers not philosophers, they go to night clubs get drunk and drive fast cars.