NRL star joins Gold Coast

IN A STUNNING coup for the AFL, rugby league star Karmichael Hunt is set to switch football codes and play with the new Gold Coast team.

New Zealand-born Hunt, 22, has played for the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL since 2004, and has represented Queensland and Australia.

He is expected to join Gold Coast in May 2010 after playing a season of rugby union. Hunt will also take on a game development and promotional role with the AFL and AFL Queensland for three years.

Hunt said the switch came about after he wanted to continue playing sport at the highest level while remaining in Queensland.

"If I had to leave Brisbane then I preferred to change codes rather than change teams as I did not want to play against the Brisbane Broncos," he said.
 
"For me this is about the challenge of playing AFL at the highest level. The Gold Coast Football Club has given me a great opportunity to be part of its journey to AFL in 2011.

"I played AFL as a teenager and I am really excited by the challenge to change codes and still play at the elite level and for a Queensland team in a national competition. I can't wait."

It is the first time an established rugby league player has crossed to the AFL since Ray Smith, who played 104 matches (77 with Essendon from 1971-75 and 27 with Melbourne from 1975-76).

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said the signing of Hunt was a coup for Gold Coast. He said it showed the club was prepared to look outside the square.

"This is a unique set of circumstances. Karmichael was identified as an outstanding teenager when he was at school and the talent managers in Queensland still talk about Karmichael as the standout schoolboy talent who got away. We think he can make an impact as a player and also in developing the game in Queensland at community level," Demetriou said.

He said Hunt was enthusiastic about undertaking an AFL development role: "He is a proud Queenslander and the unique opportunity to stay in Queensland and play sport at the elite level, while also being a part of building a new national club on the Gold Coast was a big part of his decision."

Chief executive Travis Auld said as a new club Gold Coast could afford to be innovative in its recruitment.

"Karmichael Hunt is one of the most exciting sportsmen in Australian sport and a natural-born AFL footballer. We think he can be one of the elite players of the AFL. His potential to play the game has been confirmed by our recruiting staff led by Scott Clayton and the AFL’s talent division," Auld said.

Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna said he was excited by the prospect of seeing Hunt play the game.

"I've followed State of Origin. I know it's not AFL football, but seeing how he moves, seeing how he hits, he's going to bring another dimension to an AFL football team," he said.
 
"[He is] powerful, strong, quick and probably averages 23 tackles in a game. We're lucky to average 40 in a whole side. He's built for that, built for the physical demands of AFL football.

"Technically we are going to have do some work with him but that's no different to some of the Irish players who have crossed over. We are probably at an advantage given he played competitive AFL football up until the age of 14, so he's someone with a history in the game.

"We will sit down and map out his next 18 months and work out from a physical point of view and a technical side of things a program but I can't wait to get my hands on him."

AFL legal and business affairs general manager Andrew Dillon, who also chairs the AFL list development committee, said Hunt was a great advertisement for players switching sports.  

"This is about an elite sportsman coming to our game. In doing so he follows successful AFL players such as Tadhg Kennelly from Gaelic football and Dean Brogan from basketball who have competed at an elite level in another sport," he said.

"As an elite athlete Hunt's move to AFL is no more unusual than a Kurt Tippett swapping from basketball, Tadhg Kennelly and others swapping from Gaelic football or Mike Pyke swapping from a rugby union background."

Hunt has been signed under player rule 21.3.4 (a) II, where any AFL club can sign a player who has not been registered for at least three full years with any recognised Australian football competition at any level. Carlton used this rule to recruit Setanta and Aisake O'hAilpin, while Sydney Swans rookie Jake Orreal and Collingwood rookie Lachlan Keefe were also taken under the rule.