Details emerge over Adam Hunter's death: Meth related overdose. Died penniless

[dmc333]

I know AFL wages have skyrocketed since then but something like $300,000 p.a. in Perth in the early 2000s would take you quite a long way.

If he’d invested well and bought a home during his career he would have ended up reasonably wealthy, but a lot of these guys just squandered it as it came in.

It’s a long story but I know of several ex-AFL players from that era who ended up in a similar boat financially (and each with their own vice, whether gambling, drugs or booze).

It's definitely a good wicket, but he might have been nudging $300k for 3-4 years at most. First 2 wouldn't have been much. Second 2-3 would have been into 6 figures. Guess he'd probably signed the biggest one through the GF period. Not massive, but agree if handled correctly should have led toward a comfortable life.

 

[HairyO]

I know AFL wages have skyrocketed since then but something like $300,000 p.a. in Perth in the early 2000s would take you quite a long way.

If he’d invested well and bought a home during his career he would have ended up reasonably wealthy, but a lot of these guys just squandered it as it came in.

It’s a long story but I know of several ex-AFL players from that era who ended up in a similar boat financially (and each with their own vice, whether gambling, drugs or booze).

Hawthorn had a thing even in the 1980s where if you played for 10 years you'd have easily $1m in the bank / owning a home because they had a financial team helping the players with investments and money management.

Surely by the year 2000 the clubs were experts at this. So you'd really have to be screwing up badly to not have money. So it would definitely be players with vices which they arent getting help for which end up in trouble.

 

[BigPond101]

It's definitely a good wicket, but he might have been nudging $300k for 3-4 years at most. First 2 wouldn't have been much. Second 2-3 would have been into 6 figures. Guess he'd probably signed the biggest one through the GF period. Not massive, but agree if handled correctly should have led toward a comfortable life.

I reckon he would have had at least one contract earning 600k or more. He was the Eagles 5th most important player after Judd, Cousins, Kerr and Cox. By the late 90s the best players like Carey were on over a million so by mid 2000s the 5th best player on a team would have been up there. The article says he owned multiple houses over his lifetime but sold them to pay for drugs and debts

 

[Kappa]

Chose drugs over his family. Unforgivable.

For that I can never ever have any sympathy for him.

Hope his family feels better

 

[Handsuper47]

Chose drugs over his family. Unforgivable.

For that I can never ever have any sympathy for him.

Hope his family feels better

You can never have sympathy for someone that has substance abuse issues for reasons you and I are entirely unaware of?

 

[Kappa]

You can never have sympathy for someone that has substance abuse issues for reasons you and I are entirely unaware of?

As I said, I will always despise people who chose drugs over their own children/own family.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

I reckon he would have had at least one contract earning 600k or more. He was the Eagles 5th most important player after Judd, Cousins, Kerr and Cox. By the late 90s the best players like Carey were on over a million so by mid 2000s the 5th best player on a team would have been up there. The article says he owned multiple houses over his lifetime but sold them to pay for drugs and debts

Martin Pike played in Brisbane's 3peat and I think he said his biggest contract in his prime was $180k pa.

 

[BigPond101]

Martin Pike played in Brisbane's 3peat and I think he said his biggest contract in his prime was $180k pa.

Yeah he also complained publicly that every club he played for screwed him on money because he was half aboriginal, had a bad reputation and could easily be blacklisted at the drop of a hat if he caused any trouble and become one of those "difficult Aboriginals" under racist 1990s society. Doesn't have anything to do with Adam Hunter's situation tbh

 

[1970crow]

I know AFL wages have skyrocketed since then but something like $300,000 p.a. in Perth in the early 2000s would take you quite a long way.

If he’d invested well and bought a home during his career he would have ended up reasonably wealthy, but a lot of these guys just squandered it as it came in.

It’s a long story but I know of several ex-AFL players from that era who ended up in a similar boat financially (and each with their own vice, whether gambling, drugs or booze).

The article suggested that he had to sell his properties to pay for his habit. Suggests money in wasn’t the problem.

 

[Anja_Nees]

The article suggested that he had to sell his properties to pay for his habit. Suggests money in wasn’t the problem.

No, that’s my point. He was earning enough to set himself up for life but sadly torched it.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

Yeah he also complained publicly that every club he played for screwed him on money because he was half aboriginal, had a bad reputation and could easily be blacklisted at the drop of a hat if he caused any trouble and become one of those "difficult Aboriginals" under racist 1990s society. Doesn't have anything to do with Adam Hunter's situation tbh

You reckon Hunter would have been on $600k a year, I reckon you're dreaming.

 

[dmc333]

Martin Pike played in Brisbane's 3peat and I think he said his biggest contract in his prime was $180k pa.

I think it was only $100k.

 

[The Blue Max]

ABC revealing he has been posthumously diagnosed with CTE.

Seems he suffered badly due to brain injury - very brave of his wife to allow the post-mortem.

West Coast Eagles star posthumously diagnosed with CTE

An examination of AFL premiership player Adam Hunter's brain, donated for research by his family, confirms he was suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

www.abc.net.au

 

[kane249]

Concussion treatment has come along way the last few years

The 06 comeback game Vs Geelong, Mooney shoved Hunter into the concrete near the dug out. Zero chance he comes back on and plays out the game like he did that day.

 

[norwood8]

It’s not really a mystery if you lived in Perth during that era, the club and their handlers swept all this nonsense under the rug.

And these club people/handlers should be held accountable now, more than ever. As should the AFL and WADA, you can't say they had no idea.
The proof is out there...

 

[Jim Cricket]

And these club people/handlers should be held accountable now, more than ever. As should the AFL and WADA, you can't say they had no idea.
The proof is out there...

So what if they knew or suspected, how about some personal responsibility? Choosing to use illicit substances is the decision of the user, no-one else.

 

[gambinotosserflog]

Yeah he also complained publicly that every club he played for screwed him on money because he was half aboriginal, had a bad reputation and could easily be blacklisted at the drop of a hat if he caused any trouble and become one of those "difficult Aboriginals" under racist 1990s society. Doesn't have anything to do with Adam Hunter's situation tbh

watch his open mike interview. in his own way, he admits it was his own fault with his shitty off field behaviour. great player and got the job done, but was irresponsible off the field. he admits that when fronting leigh matthews for the first time, they knew they could low ball him; at that point he was on to his 4th club. spare me the nonsense about race, nothing to do with it.

 

[gambinotosserflog]

I reckon he would have had at least one contract earning 600k or more. He was the Eagles 5th most important player after Judd, Cousins, Kerr and Cox. By the late 90s the best players like Carey were on over a million so by mid 2000s the 5th best player on a team would have been up there. The article says he owned multiple houses over his lifetime but sold them to pay for drugs and debts

not a chance. carey was an anomaly. it is only just now that the average is $500k (and will zoom very shortly). Hunter nowhere near the top half dozen in terms of importance; glass, lynch, embley, and others more important.

 

[Atch]

I think it was only $100k.

That's sad what a great man, last I saw he was on a Melbourne CFMEU job site looked like he liked it, obviously everyone around him loved him.

 

[Bogart]

RIP

 

[Upgrayedd]

As I said, I will always despise people who chose drugs over their own children/own family.

And this general line of thinking is damaging and backwards in terms of understanding and helping rehabilitate addicts

Add it in that a poster has said its confirmed he had CTE, It's staggering how could you "Despise" a man who probably didn't have the neurological function to make rash choices?

 

[kazzooka]

Hawthorn had a thing even in the 1980s where if you played for 10 years you'd have easily $1m in the bank / owning a home because they had a financial team helping the players with investments and money management.

Surely by the year 2000 the clubs were experts at this. So you'd really have to be screwing up badly to not have money. So it would definitely be players with vices which they arent getting help for which end up in trouble.

Some players can't be helped. Travis Johnstone had to be paid in a small allowance of his wage while the rest went to an account his manager controlled for him to make sure all him bills got paid. Didn't stop him taking that $700 a week of spending money and blowing it all playing pinball on payday and having no money for lunch the rest of the week. They ended up having to buy him a pinball machine once they found out what he was doing. This was before Schwartz started teaching him how to blow all him money gambling.

 

[Plugger46]

Some players can't be helped. Travis Johnstone had to be paid in a small allowance of his wage while the rest went to an account his manager controlled for him to make sure all him bills got paid. Didn't stop him taking that $700 a week of spending money and blowing it all playing pinball on payday and having no money for lunch the rest of the week. They ended up having to buy him a pinball machine once they found out what he was doing. This was before Schwartz started teaching him how to blow all him money gambling.

It staggers me where people know this information from?

 

[The Blue Max]

It staggers me where people know this information from?

You have to live in a real city to understand how quickly muck spreads.

 

[Plugger46]

You have to live in a real city to understand how quickly muck spreads.

The most interesting thing to happen in Adelaide was at the ramsgate and that was 20+ years ago!