Welcome to the AFL

[Moses]

I just thought I'd welcome the gorilla in the room to our group of organisations who rape and pillage the NRL. With their recent signing of Car Mike Hunt they join our not very exclusive club.

Hunt has gone out the honourable way, stating that it's not for the money, then to prove this point he's signed for 6 months of Japaneese Rugby Union between his League and (g)AFL careers. Curious

 

[Newb]

i'm waiting for him to pop over to the NFL for a jaunt too. really is a jack of all trades.

 

[cheezel]

He played rugby pretty well at churchie in Bris with Quade Cooper, so he was a rugby player before he went to league.

For the AFL to let him go for a year shows they aren't too confident he's going to make an impact, he's more there to get some more fans in QLD. The media down here has been poking shit at him all day.

 

[Moses]

For the AFL to let him go for a year shows they aren't too confident he's going to make an impact, he's more there to get some more fans in QLD. The media down here has been poking shit at him all day.

On the contrary, he's a marquee for the new Gold Coast team, and they've got a whole year of free publicity for the startup. I reckon AFL couldn't be happier

 

[RugbyReg]

Is he really playing rugby in Japan in between?

I'm shocked at his salary. He's effectively equal to Jonathan Brown - the highest paid player in the game.

Interestingly part of this is AFL paid money, effectively to be a development officer/promotional personality for the game.

 

[Scotty]

Wow, I feel like I'm living in bizarro world.

 

[cheezel]

For the AFL to let him go for a year shows they aren't too confident he's going to make an impact, he's more there to get some more fans in QLD. The media down here has been poking shit at him all day.

On the contrary, he's a marquee for the new Gold Coast team, and they've got a whole year of free publicity for the startup. I reckon AFL couldn't be happier

I would have thought he'd be off better training his arse off with training more suited to the game, not getting used to another game and then crossing over again. AFL and Rugby have different skill sets needed and Hunt is going to have to work extremely hard to make an impact on the field. I can't see how rugby in japan is going to help him in any way.

He's a good athlete, but is he that good he can just waltz in.

 

[Moses]

Is he really playing rugby in Japan in between?

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=4&ContentID=159284

AFL coaching veteran David Parkin has backed Karmichael Hunt’s likely rugby union detour, saying it keeps the league star in professional sport.

One of the most unusual and potentially-contentious features of Hunt’s unprecedented switch from the NRL to the AFL is that he also wants an overseas stint in rugby.

Hunt will leave NRL side the Brisbane Broncos at the end of this season and is then looking for an overseas rugby contract, probably in Japan.

At this stage, the 22-year-old will not join the AFL’s Gold Coast expansion club until May next year.

But Parkin agrees with Gold Coast recruiting manager Scott Clayton, the mastermind behind Hunt’s change of codes.

Clayton said from the start of Gold Coast’s talks with Hunt several months ago, they knew he wanted to play union and never argued against it.

“I’m too far away to make an (informed) comment - I would want him competing at the highest level at whatever he’s doing for as long as he can before he makes the transition,” Parkin said.

Clayton says six months will be enough time to prepare Hunt for the AFL, with Gold Coast set to become the AFL’s 17th club in 2011.

“He certainly goes (to union) with our full support - from day one, we thought that a good idea, because otherwise he’s a long time out of elite sport,” Clayton said.

“He’s so determined to want to be challenged, we’re not going to pull him out of something he wants to challenge himself in.

 

[Pfitzy]

Good on him. He's only 22 and probably wants to show people that League players aren't all just fat meatheads with no skills...


... actually its probably the money...

 

[Lindommer]

NEWSFLASH

Gold Coast AFL star signing Karmichael Hunt has announced he's signed for the new football franchise, the Canberra Crumblers, for the 2012 season.

"I loved my time in league with the Broncos, playing rugby in Japan was a doddle and learning AFL here on the Gold Coast was a massive achievement. The chance to complete the quadrella playing soccer with Canberra was too strong to resist. I'm investigating opportunities to play Gaelic football in Ireland for the few months before the Crumblers season starts in August 2012," said Karmichael.

What next for the lad? American football? Experts suggest he should consider easing himself into NFL by playing the slightly easier version, Canadian footfball.

 

[Moses]

NEWSFLASH

Gold Coast AFL star signing Karmichael Hunt has announced he's signed for the new football franchise, the Canberra Crumblers, for the 2012 season.

"I loved my time in league with the Broncos, playing rugby in Japan was a doddle and learning AFL here on the Gold Coast was a massive achievement. The chance to complete the quadrella playing soccer with Canberra was too strong to resist. I'm investigating opportunities to play Gaelic football in Ireland for the few months before the Crumblers season starts in August 2012," said Karmichael.

What next for the lad? American football? Experts suggest he should consider easing himself into NFL by playing the slightly easier version, Canadian footfball.

How is he at piggybacks? Jockey's are pretty light and there's a gap in his schedule early november...

 

[Aussie D]

If he hasn't signed to play rugby o/s yet maybe he could be persuaded to play a year for the Reds.....

 

[Pfitzy]

Nonsense - no-one at the Reds has shown themselves of playing a whole season, let alone a year 8)