K Hunt confirms his departure from the AFL

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

What I found weird was his saying he couldn't cope with another preseason training. So what do they do in Rugby? Folau couldn't cope with the training either (or play the game for that matter) so I must conclude that Rugby is soft.

 

[bigleague]

He said his body wasn't genetically up to the running demands, I wonder if all that extra running has cost him the career longevity he once might have had playing the rugby codes.

 

[TheSunGod]

What I found weird was his saying he couldn't cope with another preseason training. So what do they do in Rugby? Folau couldn't cope with the training either (or play the game for that matter) so I must conclude that Rugby is soft.

They estimate a rugby / league preseason is about 60 - 70% of an AFL preseason with far less emphasis on running and more on weights.

 

[Richard Pryor]

Wasn't really good, but big respect for taking a marketing stunt as an actual opportunity to challenge himself and sticking it out.

 

[hench]

Never understood the amount of hate he generated at Big Footy from time to time.

 

[bigleague]

mclaughlin called him a dual international this morning, that would be news to K.

 

[Hap Hapablap]

it was a risk that in a way paid off in terms of exposure but a waste in terms of money and hunts time.

doubt there will be any more cross-overs after this.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Wasn't really good, but big respect for taking a marketing stunt as an actual opportunity to challenge himself and sticking it out.

You see, this I don't understand. If the government offered me a miilion dollars a year to sit at a desk, do a little bit of work and not be very good at it, and I did this for 4 years ... would you have respect for me for my ability to "stick it out"? I'm willing to bet the answer is a huge NO, so why have respect for this guy for doing bugger all and taking $4 million with him?

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

mclaughlin called him a dual international this morning, that would be news to K.

McLachlan has already given notice he's going to be one of these people who only open their mouth to change feet.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

What I found weird was his saying he couldn't cope with another preseason training. So what do they do in Rugby? Folau couldn't cope with the training either (or play the game for that matter) so I must conclude that Rugby is soft.

No, you can conclude that the AFL is stupid.

 

[Richard Pryor]

You see, this I don't understand. If the government offered me a miilion dollars a year to sit at a desk, do a little bit of work and not be very good at it, and I did this for 4 years ... would you have respect for me for my ability to "stick it out"? I'm willing to bet the answer is a huge NO, so why have respect for this guy for doing bugger all and taking $4 million with him?

Isn't this what we have elections for? To decide who's going to not be doing a good job at a desk? I'd rather a seemingly agreeable guy with a work ethic get a million than a politician.

 

[Cmarsh]

You see, this I don't understand. If the government offered me a miilion dollars a year to sit at a desk, do a little bit of work and not be very good at it, and I did this for 4 years ... would you have respect for me for my ability to "stick it out"? I'm willing to bet the answer is a huge NO, so why have respect for this guy for doing bugger all and taking $4 million with him?

I think you are underestimating the amount of hard work through training that is required to be an AFL player. This along with the scrutiny he was under, he made himself very vulnerable by walking away from being a star at League into something he was not sure he could do well.

Your comparison to an anonymous desk job is ridiculous.

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

You see, this I don't understand. If the government offered me a miilion dollars a year to sit at a desk, do a little bit of work and not be very good at it, and I did this for 4 years ... would you have respect for me for my ability to "stick it out"? I'm willing to bet the answer is a huge NO, so why have respect for this guy for doing bugger all and taking $4 million with him?

too much common sense in this post for BF. I agree with you.

 

[Slax]

Can't say that I'm surprised he's left as writing was on the wall some time ago. He came for the money, was servicable and left with his money. It is amazing to think that he managed to make the switch and make it. We'll never see another elite NRL player swap.

Whilst i have a lot of respect for what he has done, I have more respect for Falou. He came on the same marketing money, but walked away from $1m in his final year because he didn't want to waste another year of his life and instead pursue what is turning into a massively successful career and one that will in terms of the game achieve greater success than the hype Sheedy and others created about him when he signed saying he'd be a champion

 

[JUBJUB]

mclaughlin called him a dual international this morning, that would be news to K.

Everytime Gil opens his mouth it makes Hamish just seem the more smarter of them

 

[base615]

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

Can't say that I'm surprised he's left as writing was on the wall some time ago. He came for the money, was servicable and left with his money. It is amazing to think that he managed to make the switch and make it. We'll never see another elite NRL player swap.

Whilst i have a lot of respect for what he has done, I have more respect for Falou. He came on the same marketing money, but walked away from $1m in his final year because he didn't want to waste another year of his life and instead pursue what is turning into a massively successful career and one that will in terms of the game achieve greater success than the hype Sheedy and others created about him when he signed saying he'd be a champion

I think Folau did more for AFL in Western Sydney than Hunt did in Qld. The fact that a premiere NRL player like Folau couldn't play AFL really gave the code some street cred to the hardened rugby fans of Sydney. You have to remember many Rugby fans think AFL is aerial ping pong, GAYFL, and an easy game, Folau's failure proved it wasn't easy, and people took notice. It's just important now that GWS build on that as it won't last.

Hunt gave the GCS a push at the start, but I think after the first year having Gazza was more important to promoting football in southern Qld than Hunt was. Overall I think the AFL wasted a huge amount of money on this, and I don't think Hunt deserves any credit for being what is essentially a failed AFL player.

 

[Northworth]

good for promotion (but hard to prove the counterfactual)
a waste of the time/money invested into him - still he gave more back than Folau… but you just can't help but think about the talented kids that missed out on spots on lists because of these two

 

[Kim Hagdorn]

Your comparison to an anonymous desk job is ridiculous.

He really is a joyless individual.

 

[Partridge]

I'm sure he / she does but he is a serial K hater so why let the facts get in the way of his poor argument. Probably thinks that K to the Suns was aimed at attracting Hawks supporters from Adelaide to the game as well.

You want facts? By all means....

He averaged 11.1 disposals a game.
He average 0.1 goals a game.
He played 44 senior games

Remember, he was (allegedly) a MIDFIELDER. Go through every team in the competition, and see how many midfielders average 11 touches a game after 44 games; I'm guessing there won't be many.

You can talk about marketing, or exposure, or whatever else to put a positive spin on it, but on the field, playing the actual game, he was a complete failure. What we heard of course was endless prattle about how he would be a "wrecking ball", how feared he would be, how apparently the soft and effiminate AFL players would be bullied beyond belief by the two big nasty rugby players. Basically hype piled upon bullshit upon hype upon propaganda.

He tried, he wasn't good enough, he's quit. He got paid ridiculous money to be very, very bad at his job.

 

[Partridge]

You see, this I don't understand. If the government offered me a miilion dollars a year to sit at a desk, do a little bit of work and not be very good at it, and I did this for 4 years ... would you have respect for me for my ability to "stick it out"? I'm willing to bet the answer is a huge NO, so why have respect for this guy for doing bugger all and taking $4 million with him?

Because it beats thinking.

 

[Slax]

I think Folau did more for AFL in Western Sydney than Hunt did in Qld. The fact that a premiere NRL player like Folau couldn't play AFL really gave the code some street cred to the hardened rugby fans of Sydney. You have to remember many Rugby fans think AFL is aerial ping pong, GAYFL, and an easy game, Folau's failure proved it wasn't easy, and people took notice. It's just important now that GWS build on that as it won't last.

Hunt gave the GCS a push at the start, but I think after the first year having Gazza was more important to promoting football in southern Qld than Hunt was. Overall I think the AFL wasted a huge amount of money on this, and I don't think Hunt deserves any credit for being what is essentially a failed AFL player.

Agree totally with the sentiment.

But when someone comes knocking on your door with literally a bag full of money and asks do you want to try and play AFL, don't worry if you don't make it, but we'll pay you $1m a year just for trying, you aren't going to say no. Considering his body type and the sort of position he was going to play it was always going to be easier for him to come across than Falou.

The AFL got a huge boost from him and then another massive boost when he did something kids only dream of when he kicked the winning goal after the siren against Richmond. The AFL marketing team only dreamed of that happening, but when he did it they got back page articles in the Courier mail for a couple of days, something that hadn't happened since Brisbane's glory years.

The AFL has wasted millions on these two, they would've done better to of told GWS they'd underwrite an offer to someone like Ablett for an extra $500k a a season, so they could get someone like that, they did it with Plugger in the 90s. Get a star player you know can deliver and it helps get bums on seats.

 

[Partridge]

I think you are underestimating the amount of hard work through training that is required to be an AFL player. This along with the scrutiny he was under, he made himself very vulnerable by walking away from being a star at League into something he was not sure he could do well.

Your comparison to an anonymous desk job is ridiculous.

Really? Gee, you'd almost want to get paid to do it wouldn't you?

Oh that's right, he was. Very, very, very, very generously.

You're right about anonymous desk jobs. People who have them can generally master the basics pretty quickly.

 

[ManWithNoName]

Really? Gee, you'd almost want to get paid to do it wouldn't you?

Oh that's right, he was. Very, very, very, very generously.

You're right about anonymous desk jobs. People who have them can generally master the basics pretty quickly.

So being paid lots automatically made it easier to learn the game?

Utterly stupid analogy.

 

[Partridge]

So being paid lots automatically made it easier to learn the game?

Utterly stupid analogy.

Being paid lots removes a lot of excuses. Plenty of 1st to 4th year players are struggling to make it at every other club. The difference is if they get 11 touches a game they'd find themselves in the reserves. And they wouldn't get praise for simply turning up.