It was the hardest challenge going around!
Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2014 11:49 am
Code hopper Karmichael Hunt reckons he is sleeping a lot easier at night since leaving the AFL - and it seems he is already dreaming of a Wallabies jersey.
Six weeks of rugby union training at the Queensland Reds have been enough to convince the ex-Brisbane Bronco that he made the right choice when he ended his 44-game AFL career at the Gold Coast Suns in August.
Groomed as the Reds' next fullback, Hunt said the rugby skills he first honed at Brisbane's Anglican Church Grammar School then reignited at French club Biarritz pre-Suns in 2010 had returned "naturally" at Queensland training.
"I am sleeping a lot easier at night," Hunt said on Monday.
"My head is not as scrambled as my AFL transition.
"You can imagine the stress with trying to learn the game and skills and physically trying to change my body shape to play AFL football.
The AFL was a fantastic challenge for me. It was the hardest challenge going around and I am happy I went for it.
Hunt joined former Broncos teammate Israel Folau as the only men to play top grade in all three winter codes in Australia when he signed a three-year deal with the Reds.
And he sounded confident of also joining Folau in a Wallabies jersey sooner rather than later.
"I would be lying if I said I didn't have plans to play at that top level," he said of a Wallabies call-up.
"But it's not at the forefront of my mind. I want to pull on a Queensland Reds jersey and add to their success.
"I have been very impressed with the way he (Folau) has gone with his footy.
"I am a fan more than anything. I enjoy watching him play.
"But I don't doubt myself with making a transition successfully."
Hunt may be a new face in a new code - again - but the 27-year-old felt he could play the role of mentor in coach Richard Graham's Reds squad.
"I feel at this point of my career I have a lot of experience to pass onto the younger kids in the team," he said.
"I really look forward to being a leader and a mentor for some of the younger ones who need help along the way because I have walked many a path in my career, learned a lot of things, fallen over and got back up."
Hunt seemed excited most with combining with Wallabies playmaker Quade Cooper at the Reds.
"I actually went to the same school as Quade although he was a couple of years younger than me," Hunt said.
"I caught up with him a few weeks before he was called up to the Wallabies squad and we hit it off quite nicely."
Queensland begin their pre-season in earnest from November 24.
well there you have it.
Kant play AFL Michael Hunt, has admitted AFL is harder & more of a challenge than League!
now he back off to the bumsniffing the easy life! plodding up and down a field, throwing the ball sideways & jumping on to men, then sniffing their backside
Six weeks of rugby union training at the Queensland Reds have been enough to convince the ex-Brisbane Bronco that he made the right choice when he ended his 44-game AFL career at the Gold Coast Suns in August.
Groomed as the Reds' next fullback, Hunt said the rugby skills he first honed at Brisbane's Anglican Church Grammar School then reignited at French club Biarritz pre-Suns in 2010 had returned "naturally" at Queensland training.
"I am sleeping a lot easier at night," Hunt said on Monday.
"My head is not as scrambled as my AFL transition.
"You can imagine the stress with trying to learn the game and skills and physically trying to change my body shape to play AFL football.
The AFL was a fantastic challenge for me. It was the hardest challenge going around and I am happy I went for it.
Hunt joined former Broncos teammate Israel Folau as the only men to play top grade in all three winter codes in Australia when he signed a three-year deal with the Reds.
And he sounded confident of also joining Folau in a Wallabies jersey sooner rather than later.
"I would be lying if I said I didn't have plans to play at that top level," he said of a Wallabies call-up.
"But it's not at the forefront of my mind. I want to pull on a Queensland Reds jersey and add to their success.
"I have been very impressed with the way he (Folau) has gone with his footy.
"I am a fan more than anything. I enjoy watching him play.
"But I don't doubt myself with making a transition successfully."
Hunt may be a new face in a new code - again - but the 27-year-old felt he could play the role of mentor in coach Richard Graham's Reds squad.
"I feel at this point of my career I have a lot of experience to pass onto the younger kids in the team," he said.
"I really look forward to being a leader and a mentor for some of the younger ones who need help along the way because I have walked many a path in my career, learned a lot of things, fallen over and got back up."
Hunt seemed excited most with combining with Wallabies playmaker Quade Cooper at the Reds.
"I actually went to the same school as Quade although he was a couple of years younger than me," Hunt said.
"I caught up with him a few weeks before he was called up to the Wallabies squad and we hit it off quite nicely."
Queensland begin their pre-season in earnest from November 24.
well there you have it.
Kant play AFL Michael Hunt, has admitted AFL is harder & more of a challenge than League!
now he back off to the bumsniffing the easy life! plodding up and down a field, throwing the ball sideways & jumping on to men, then sniffing their backside
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