Karmichael Hunt

[bunsen burner]

Bit harsh revisiting this thread after all that time but I thought he was in the best 3 players on the ground last week against the Bombers. Always thought he'd make it but am surprised at how good he is. I'm now tipping him to be a gun. He just looks smart and tough.

 

[IanW]

Yeah, was good in the bits I saw of him when I flicked between channels. Has some real explosiveness about him as well in the clinches. Could become a very good player with a bit more time. Kudos to him.

Explosiveness over short distances, usually to burst between two players in the defensive line, is an absolute key skill in rugby league - acceleration over a short distance is much more important than mere straight line speed or the ability to change direction quickly.

Both Hunt and Folau have a very good first five meters, and Hunt is further along on learning when to use it in Australian Rules.

 

[Gak Attack]

Liked what I saw. Seems to have a great understanding round the packs with Ablett as well. You can tell now he just understands the game, often last year(as we see with Folau) he would just be standing in bad spots.. not anymore. Very good with quickly moving the ball by hand too I noticed.

 

[Rodney Dangerfield]

Explosiveness over short distances, usually to burst between two players in the defensive line, is an absolute key skill in rugby league - acceleration over a short distance is much more important than mere straight line speed or the ability to change direction quickly.

Both Hunt and Folau have a very good first five meters, and Hunt is further along on learning when to use it in Australian Rules.

Great observation.

 

[weevil]

Liked what I saw. Seems to have a great understanding round the packs with Ablett as well. You can tell now he just understands the game, often last year(as we see with Folau) he would just be standing in bad spots.. not anymore. Very good with quickly moving the ball by hand too I noticed.

He was always an extremely clever league player, it was just a matter of time until he learnt how to play the game.

Still has plenty of improvement left in him. Will be a weapon.

 

[chinggis77]

AFL must have Karmichael cam at the grounds. A vid is up already of his game:

http://www.afl.com.au/Video/tabid/76/contentid/442398/karmichael+steps+up/Default.aspx

he could become a really good inside player looking at that. Needs to work on his handball.

 

[richcogs]

I was SUPER impressed with his game. COuld really be a player, love the way he goes about it. If he continues to play like that he will be my favourite opposition player. He is a bull!

 

[Drummond]

Really like the guy, and he's developing (or going to) into a very good inside midfielder! Couldn't be happier for him.

 

[2010premier]

Even the biggest hunt skeptic would have to concede that his improvement is pretty remarkable in a short period and he is now clearly in the suns best 10-12 players. Give him 2 more years and he will be a better than average afl player and wouldn't shock me if he managed a top 3 in the suns b & f at some stage.

 

[King Elvis]

It's clicked.

 

[Spluff]

If he cleans up his handball he'll be quite a handy player. Surprisingly, he's quite a good kick, but a poor handballer.

Goes to show the value of athleticism.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Really improving well. Could become a very good inside midfielder IMO. Needs to back himself more to kick more often because he can kick well.

 

[PTizzle]

^Agreed Spluff, and the funny thing is that he almost always looks to give off the handball when his kicking is pretty good.

Thought he was one of the Suns best again tonight, especially with Ablett not having his best game before being injured. The best thing is his endeavour considering the margin tonight.

 

[flea29]

Explosiveness over short distances, usually to burst between two players in the defensive line, is an absolute key skill in rugby league - acceleration over a short distance is much more important than mere straight line speed or the ability to change direction quickly.

Both Hunt and Folau have a very good first five meters, and Hunt is further along on learning when to use it in Australian Rules.

Folau's in it purely for the money
K Hunt, whilst the money is handy, seems like he wants to prove he can cut it
Don't think he'll be a gun but should prove worthwhile, marketing a bonus. Respect

 

[Simple Jack]

Watching that highlights package one of the best bits was 'Karmichael hits up a leading forward just outside 50, forward gives it back to him, Karmichael hits up Brown even closer to goal.'

Could have used some of that at the Saints on Friday night.

Edit: I think the first forward was Lynch from memory.

 

[bombermick]

Folau has much better physical tools for our game, but Hunt's drive is clearly elite - and it's this that will make him the better player. He's now not afraid to use that powerful frame and hurt some opponents who dare tread his path.

 

[Gak Attack]

Folau's in it purely for the money
K Hunt, whilst the money is handy, seems like he wants to prove he can cut it
Don't think he'll be a gun but should prove worthwhile, marketing a bonus. Respect

Exactly. Just the work he's put in to transform his body proves he's not there just to cash his big $$$, remember how early he would cramp last year? Now he's running out games playing on the ball.

 

[MF]

That hit on Monfries was a thing of beauty.

 

[CursoryMercenary]

Great signs over the last couple of weeks, he will get better still.

 

[Hoops]

He gets the full name treatment from the commentators as opposed to just his surname or nickname.

 

[IanW]

Its also interesting just how quiet the hate squad, composed of crud judges of football like 84gf and Adelaide Hawk, have been as Hunt has played good game after good game this year.

 

[Sammy J]

Pulling for the guy. Great signs so far this season - improved out of sight.

That hit on Monfries was awesome. Really should use his frame like that more often, he's a huge unit.

 

[Dynamics]

Without a word of exaggeration he's one of the non-Collingwood players I look forward to watching the most. I go out of my way to watch the Suns for two reasons - Ablett and Hunt. I was rapt when he re-signed and said it was the most fun he's had since he was a kid playing basketball. For me that was bigger than either he or Izzy signing in the first place. It shows how much he's embraced the game and that he's really enjoying himself. If these blokes don't have fun playing the game then their stay will only ever be temporary. The money for Izzy to go back to League won't be anything to sneeze at, so he has to be enjoying what he does. Fingers crossed.

You only have to look at their faces to see that Hunt's desrire to succeed is, at this stage, just that little bit more intense and more wholehearted that Izzy's. That's no disrespect to Izzy at all. The way he's committed to changing his body shape means he's giving it plenty of commitment too. And Izzy is a shy, quiet bloke. Always will be, it's a part of his cultural upbringing. But Hunt would have to be one of the most professional athletes in the country and it's starting to show.

From an aesthetic point of view I just enjoy watching the way he moves when the footy is in his vicinity. There's something different that I can't quite pinpoint that clearly comes from his League background. He seems to address the contest in a different way and it's fascinating to try and work out exactly what it is that he's doing differently. I think it's a huge asset to the AFL to have him on board.

This is still very much a learning year for him, but 2013 and onwards could see Hunt become a very, very handy midfielder.


Edit: Just watched that clip. Watch the last possession. That lower body strength and ability to break a tackle and get his hands free is very much a League skill and is transferable in terms of him becoming an inside mid. Just needs to keep working on finding the pill and improve those handballs. They're pretty ordinary.

 

[cos789]

Just needs to keep working on finding the pill and improve those handballs. They're pretty ordinary.

Handballing is the skill that most people new to game have trouble with.
Whilst they have to improve on their kicking and marking, handballing is totally new.

 

[Dynamics]

Handballing is the skill that most people new to game have trouble with.
Whilst they have to improve on their kicking and marking, handballing is totally new.

True. I recall junior footy training often being more about handballing than kicking, so what we take for granted is obviously a difficult skill that takes time to learn.

His technique with his punching hand is all over the shop so there's no power, let alone precision. You can see where he wants to put it but he can't make it stick.

I'm no coach but I wonder if it would be worth getting him to focus his training on getting those 5 - 8 or so metre passes right and go by foot for the longer stuff. He's never going to handball like Greg Williams but he can kick so that might be the way to go. He seems to only be comfortable kicking when running into open space and that will have to change. Again, I reckon he'll keep improving with time.