NRL's Hunt to join Gold Coast AFL team

[jargan83]

NRL's Hunt to join Gold Coast AFL team

09:39 AEST Wed Jul 29 2009

Rugby league star Karmichael Hunt is reportedly set to make a shock announcement to join the AFL.

Brisbane rugby league star Karmichael Hunt is switching to play AFL in a move which will rock the NRL to its foundations.

In an unprecedented cross-code switch, Hunt is to announce on Wednesday morning that he is signing with the new Gold Coast franchise which joins the AFL competition in 2011.

He will begin his new career with the Gold Coast franchise next year, with the club to commit but most likely to play in the VFL competition.

It is the first time a rugby league international has switched to play Australian Rules.

The move will intensify the fierce turf war between the strongest football codes in Australia, with rugby league in danger of suffering further raids on its most talented players, especially if Hunt makes a successful transition.

Fellow Test players Greg Inglis, Billy Slater and Israel Folau are other obvious targets for AFL clubs.

Hunt played some Australian Rules as a schoolboy in Brisbane, attracting the attention of Queensland AFL scouts, before joining the Broncos as a 17-year-old in 2004.

The Auckland-born fullback has since played 10 State of Origin matches for Queensland and 11 Tests for Australia.

With Hunt's contract with the Broncos up at the end of the 2009 NRL season, the 22-year-old's future has been a hot topic in recent months.

He knocked back a $1.2 million three-year deal from the Broncos earlier this year and his manager David Riolo has been overseas looking at his options.

There had been speculation he could move to Japan to play rugby, but Hunt will make his shock code-switch announcement at a press conference on the Gold Coast at 10.30am (AEST) on Wednesday.

http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=843068

[goony]

CRAZY!!!

[Action Hardcore]

Can you imagine the amount of poon you'd get playing aussie rules, I might switch codes to...

[JediKnight]

Wow - that came out of left-field!!! Talk about a challenge.

[shasta]

Does 2 bench appearances in reserve grade count as "the only man ever to have played Rugby League and AFL at the elite level" ? Barra's junior rep Rugby for ACT would have more relevance.

Hunt will struggle says fellow code switcher

Chris Thomson, watoday.com.au | July 29, 2009 - 12:43PM

League star Karmichael Hunt will struggle in his transition to the AFL, says fellow code switcher Adrian Barich.

The only man to have played Australian Football and Rugby League at the elite level says League star Karmichael Hunt will not make the Aussie Rules cut.

Brisbane Broncos fullback Hunt announced today he will switch codes to join the new Gold Coast Australian Football club when it joins the AFL in 2011.

He will complete this NRL season with the Broncos before heading overseas for six months and beginning his Australian Rules career next May.

The rest here.....http://www.smh.com.au/news/lhqnews/h...546761713.html

[jargan83]

How old was Barich when recruited by the Western Reds though? Karmichael Hunt has youth on his side, and since the Gold Coast club is entering the AFL in 2011 but in 2010 is playing the lower tier VFL. Odds are that Hunt will be more succesful then Barich at swapping codes.

I think that Karmichael has been "head hunted" by the new Gold Coast is obvious, Bums on seats. What are the odds that Karmichael Hunt will be the face of the marketing drive when the Gold Coast starts selling memberships? Some Queenslanders or League fans in general have to curious to see how he goes in the AFL

[JediKnight]

I think that Karmichael has been "head hunted" by the new Gold Coast is obvious, Bums on seats. What are the odds that Karmichael Hunt will be the face of the marketing drive when the Gold Coast starts selling memberships? Some Queenslanders or League fans in general have to curious to see how he goes in the AFL

That just sounds like a cynical marketing ploy, Jargs. Surely none of our 'footy' codes would ever consider signing a cross-code player just to get bums on seats.......what a ridiculous suggestion!!!

[welshrugbyfan]

I'm gonna watch the news just in hope one of the news readers gets his name wrong

Say it twenty times correctly back stage and then get it wrong on the show, fingers crossed.

[Action Hardcore]

I'm gonna watch the news just in hope one of the news readers gets his name wrong

Say it twenty times correctly back stage and then get it wrong on the show, fingers crossed.

Cool story Hansel

[GIGS20]

I'm gonna watch the news just in hope one of the news readers gets his name wrong

Say it twenty times correctly back stage and then get it wrong on the show, fingers crossed.

In breaking news, NRL fullback Harmichael..............

[laura]

What a publicity stunt by the AFL!! Couldn't get any decent AFL players so they start poaching NRL, thank goodness they don't know union is!!

For my money, I think Hunt could have made the switch to Union, what a waste going to AFL. Atleast NRL isn't as bad as that crap!

[normie]

That just sounds like a cynical marketing ploy, Jargs. Surely none of our 'footy' codes would ever consider signing a cross-code player just to get bums on seats.......what a ridiculous suggestion!!!

We are talking about Queenslanders here....

[benny]

He's going to snap the AFL boys in half !!!

[shasta]

Some in the media are claiming that there was a more famous player who was probably the first to play all three codes. Dally Messenger.

[benny]

more famous, but names would help media.. name the person then..