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.
pezzle
Guest
onya hirdy!
Not sure if your serious?
Guest
Um did you do any research for this article? Wasn't on Mcgrath the whole night only for 2 goals, wasn't even playing in Adelaide so Dangerfield didn't kick any on him, was on Grant for most of the day not Josh Hill and kept him to 2 goals
Bayman
Guest
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.
Republican
Guest
YES, but this could change once GWS officially unleash Izzy next year. These too Rugby products along with the bloke from Canada are of similar pedigree after all.
simonjzw
Roar Pro
and he's a better kick than shaun dempster
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Aware, you are naive. The plan was for the NRL to *match* the money, This would send elite player salaries beyond what NRL clubs could afford, breaking the salary cap and bankrupting Canberra and Cronulla and thereby crippling the NRL. Picking up a tough, hard working back pocket and a potential gun full forward was the AFL's loser's prize.
GoGWS
Roar Guru
Ian... stats are not the whole story or even the most important part of the story... quote what ever stats you like...they are only as good as whoever puts them together, and even if put together well (which is doubtful) what do they prove...nothing...I know what I see and K is clearly at 'learner' level - he is sub-WAFL/SANFL/VFL level.....he sticks out like a sore thumb... seriously...he has not shown he is capable of marking overhead and his spoiling is really weak - his aerial skills are not there for marking/spoiling because he seems not to appreciate he needs to time a leap at the contest - he can't just keeping running in flailing his arms everywhere..... and his kicking on the run is simply woeful - there is no other word for it...and even his tackling is suspect - he misses tackles he should make and gives away free kicks he shouldn't ..... mate you have your stats and I'll just use my eyes to judge what I see.... if Hunt is such an awesome AFL player we'll expect to see him the target of interest from other AFL clubs won't we....lol...
Redb
Roar Guru
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.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
GOGWS, I dont do content-free whining. Go look here. http://www.pro-stats.com.au/psw/web/team_player_rankings?yr=2011&sp=SE&rt=TA&fc=E9&tid=117 You may not like it, but of players that have played 4 or more games for the Suns, Karmicheal Hunt is sixth for 1%ers, and fifteenth for critical errors. If you believe in second-efforts, creating contests and being hard at the ball, then he's worth his spot.
GoGWS
Roar Guru
Ian Ian....look for McKenna to come out and publicly admit he plays 'K' for promotional purposes is self-defeating...after such a public admission what promotional value is 'K'?...maybe there'd continue to be some interest but it's much better from a promotional point of view to keep up the charade...after all, GC are paying him a fair wack of cash so why waste it admitting he's just a token selection...solid body!?...that's a good one... sure K is selected on merit...sure he is... I'd take notice of what McKenna has said here if he ever actually dropped Hunt...one of Hunt's games, I think it was his second game, was an absolute shocker by anyone's measure....really bad...at the time even McKenna conceded it was a "fail".....after that game you would have thought McKenna would have given K a break and had him run in the reserves for a few weeks - certainly any other rookie player at any other club would have been dropped by now....as well as the promotional value to the team, I guess McKenna is hoping that by K running around with AFL standard players he'll develop his game.....I suspect it'll be a matter including him in the team over the next couple of seasons then exit stage left back to the NRL...
Moonface
Roar Guru
"McKenna scoffed at the notion Hunt was playing purely for promotional purposes" McKenna knows he's on thin ice and which hand is feeding him. He wasn't selected for his AFL coaching ability either - just on how many times he says yes to Demetriou and the AFL marketing department, who are the real selectors of the Suns team every week.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
"I'm happy," McKenna said. "If you had asked me at the start of the season whether he would have played seven games (including today's game against Adelaide) to this point, I wouldn't have thought so. "I remember we were thinking we had 'K' (Hunt), Jack Hutchins and Michael Coad fighting over one spot and that we'd rotate them. "He's been the solid body that we've needed. No (Campbell) Brown, no 'Krak' (Nathan Krakouer), we didn't have a lot of big bodies there for a while. Not enough fat (muscle) to absorb the heat. "The development with his defensive stuff has been really good. His body positioning is really good, he's reasonable with his hands and he's a very good stationery kick; he's actually kicked out from full-back. It's when he gets on a gallop (that he can struggle with his kicking). "He'll learn the offensive side of the game back in the reserves when the time comes. We'll put him round the ball, let him get the ball in his hands when the time's right. "He's had to earn his spot and he's been able to do that. He's enjoying it, he wants to make it work, and we're very comfortable with 'K'." McKenna scoffed at the notion Hunt was playing purely for promotional purposes. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/hunts-progress-better-than-expected/story-fn7shz1t-1226055623057
Pikelet
Guest
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.
GoGWS
Roar Guru
Agree - I have seen Hunt get away with a few that should have been paid.... if some of the stuff Hunt has done was done instead by say Barry Hall it'd get pulled up every time...I think subconsciously the umpires are cutting him a little slack...even so he needlessly gives away about 2 or 3 free kicks per game...
Alfred Chan
Expert
Absolutely spot on. Even in the Port Adelaide win, in the dying seconds of the game, Hunt left the ground to make a spoil. He completely missed the ball but crashed into the player. The commentators praised him for "putting pressure on Motlop" (I think it was Motlop), but all he did was bowl him over. 9 times out of 10, that is an unrealistic attempt to mark the ball or interfering with the marking attempt and therefore a free kick and consequently a goal. The umpire called play on. Hunt was very lucky not to have cost the Suns ANOTHER loss.
GoGWS
Roar Guru
C'mon now dsp.....for a start Hunt's aerial abilities are non-existent...in his AFL career has he ever taken an overhead mark?...even one?... and I'm being totally genuine in that question....I can recall seeing him dropping very gettable overhead marks but I can't bring to mind a single overhead mark he's taken, certainly not a contested overhead mark.....and what of the cheap free kicks he gives away every game because he can't tackle?.....there's a few free kicks from him every game where he tackles high or without the ball....and when will he learn to go with his opponent with second/third efforts - why do we so often see easily burnt off by his opponent?....and don't start me on his ball use.... Hunt simply doesn't defend "well" as you put it.... a nameless rookie at any other AFL club displaying his form would now be playing in the reserves, and be there for a pretty long spell I'd suggest......when pressed even McKenna has commented on some games that Hunt has not received a "pass" mark....OK fair enough Hunt is on his L plates and is improving but please don't come to his defence by saying that to date he has defended "well"......and the excuse that GC are getting spanked anyway is an odd little narrative finding favour in some sections of the media - one of the very reasons GC get spanked is Hunt!!....it's not all his fault of course but the weakness he creates in the GC defence is part of the problem.... I think Leigh Matthews said Hunt was directly responsible for 5 goals in one game he commentated...and every time I've seen GC I've seen Hunt's errors (or omissions) directly lead to goals...far from defending "well" I'd say he has "poor" (and that's generous)...... Any AFL follower who has seen GC would easily pick Hunt as the crosscoder without needing to be told who he is.....amongst other AFL players he sticks out like the proverbial.... the transition is not seamless.... and people claiming it is, or who say Hunt defends "well", are not making a serious comment on the issue and they are not even kidding themselves....
The Cattery
Roar Guru
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.
MagpieFlag
Guest
Actually that is completely incorrect.
woodsman
Guest
But it isn't 'taking over' far more effectively than any other code. That is more than enough.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Also, agaisnt the bulldogs Hunt stood Grant for a fair bit of the game (no goals). I accept that he leaks plenty of goals.