The only man to successfully switch from senior rugby league to Australian Rules believes Karmichael Hunt is on a hiding to nothing learning the trade under the intense pressure of AFL football.
Ray Smith, the first Queenslander to notch 100 games in the VFL – after he’d played in a Brisbane Rugby League premiership – is worried the Hunt experiment is doomed if he stays in the Suns senior side.
High-profile code-hopper Hunt has struggled badly at half-back in Gold Coast’s opening two thumpings by Carlton and the Western Bulldogs after coach Guy McKenna stressed he deserved his selection down back.
Smith, who played the same position in 77 games for Essendon and 27 for Melbourne between 1971 and 1976, said Hunt needed time at full-back in the Gold Coast reserves in the NEAFL to get a better grip on the game.
“You have to take some performance pressure off him,” Smith told AAP.
“It’s not fair to expect him to pick up the game quickly under match pressure, and they haven’t even played the really good teams yet, even though Carlton was pretty good.
“If he can’t legitimately hold his spot after half a dozen games then for the integrity of the whole club he should have half a dozen games in the twos and do it in six-game blocks.
“I think he should play fullback in the twos, he would be more comfortable there and seeing it all coming would be easier and then give him another try.
“I think it’s too hard to expect him to get to a competent league level when you are learning on the job.”
Smith argued he enjoyed a much easier transition because he grew up playing Australian Rules before excelling at rugby union at high school and then agreeing to play league with premiers Valleys, lining up at outside centre in the 1970 BRL grand final.
He doubted whether Hunt, who played just nine games of Australian Rules at school, had enough time learn how to “read the game”, build his skill-set and find his running legs before the end of his three-year contract next year.
“I think his chances are less than 50-50 and even if he makes it I don’t think he’ll ever be an exceptional player,” said Smith, a management leadership consultant.
“Reading the play in Australian Rules is huge and a capability which is extremely important. Less so in the backline … you’re not making the play so much as reacting.
“The other problem he’s got is he’s a big, strapping bloke with big legs and there’s a lot of running.
“You have to be a pretty competent 400m runner really to play Australian Rules at least and I think he’s struggling there too.
“And that’s a huge distraction, if you don’t feel confident in your legs it’s very hard to keep your mind focussed on what it’s supposed to be focussed on and that’s the ball coming.
“I hope it pans out for him but more so I hope it pans out all right for the club because otherwise they would be in a pickle.”
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