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In a worrying sign for the Gold Coast Suns and their supporters, star signing Karmichael Hunt is reportedly in doubt for the rest of the season. It’s what the haters said would happen, and what the believers hoped wouldn’t.
After just thirteen starts in the AFL, News Limited have reported NRL convert Karmichael Hunt is “burnt out”, and struggling to reach the required fitness to play to his full potential in AFL.
Guy McKenna put his star recruit’s fitness problems down to the immense physical toll of playing three different football codes within such a short space of time.
Most AFL players have been training their body to cope with the rigorous demands of Aussie Rules from a very young age. Even when they finally achieve the dream and make it into an AFL team, the gruelling pre-season fitness regime each team undertakes year after year, stepping it up a level each time, is simply awe-inspiring.
Most newbies will take a good few years before they reach a level where they are deemed a genuine asset to their team.
Yet, Hunt has had just two concentrated years of AFL (with his time in years prior spent in union and league), and naturally, his body is not coping.
Hunt is currently down with the flu, and as such, is not expected to take the field against the Cats on Saturday.
McKenna has only just come out with this honest admission about Hunt’s fitness issues, though it has been quite obvious for weeks now that he’s has not been at his best.
Lately each and every shot of him on the ground, is not a positive one – seen hunched over, clutching his shorts and gasping for air, it’s not a good sight. He’s out of contests, and isn’t searching to get involved as much as he did at the start of the season.
We all know he is a supreme athlete, but this situation really highlights just how difficult this move has been for Hunt.
I am not happy about this.
I am one of those who have been genuinely excited by the NRL to AFL experiment, and if anyone was going to do it, it would be Karmichael.
He started well enough, too. Had his moments, sure, but all in all, he held his own just fine, as many fellow AFL players would later attest to. His massive frame was obviously still a work in progress, but he was coping okay.
But now, understandably, it’s all catching up with him.
Remember Hunt’s glorious 60 metre goal back in May? It was a stunning kick, perfectly executed, and the scenes at Metricon Stadium were enough to bring even the most devoted NRL fan to their feet.
It’d be really sad if we didn’t see Hunt at that sort of level again this season. That’s not what the fans want, not what the club want, and certainly not what the AFL want. But unfortunately, that might be the reality.
McKenna has said that the coaching staff and Hunt will have to evaluate how to proceed for the remainder of the season.
It is not yet known if he will re-sign with Gold Coast or if he will return to another code.
Ever the optimist, I hope he re-signs with the Suns when his contract is up.
He has the potential to be one of their top players, and the crowds love him. But in his current role in the team, his fitness just isn’t at the right level. He’s not far off, but I’d hate to see him leave AFL because of it.
Going back to league or union would be the easy way out. He hasn’t chosen the easy road in the past, so why start now.
I say, keep at it Karmichael.
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