The Gold Coast Football Club (GCFC) has recruited Queensland rugby league player Karmichael Hunt to join its new Australian Football League team.

GCFC, which joins the AFL competition in 2011, has enticed Hunt to cross over to the AFL and be part of its plan to become the most exciting sporting club in Australia.

Hunt, who played AFL football at school in Brisbane, was identified as an elite junior talent by AFL scouts from a young age. He has gone on to become one of the country’s most exciting athletes playing with the Brisbane Broncos, the Queensland State of Origin team and representing Australia with the Kangaroos.

He is expected to play Rugby Union and return to the Gold Coast in May 2010 to commence his development program with the Club.

Gold Coast Football Club Chief Executive Officer Travis Auld said the recruitment of Hunt is a great coup for Queensland, the Gold Coast community and the football club.

“When it was first reported Karmichael was considering leaving Rugby League and the Broncos, and given the promise he had shown at a young age, we wanted to give him the opportunity to play AFL at the highest level in his home state,” he said.

“We are on a journey to be the country’s most exciting sporting club and that includes attracting talented athletes to our game. As a new club not set in traditional ways we can be innovative in the way we build our organisation on and off the field.

“Karmichael Hunt is one of the most exciting sportsmen in Australian sport and a natural-born AFL footballer. We think he can be one of the elite players of the AFL. His potential to play the game has been confirmed by our recruiting staff led by Scott Clayton and the AFL’s talent division.”

GCFC Coach Guy McKenna said he was very excited and impressed with what he has seen of Hunt.
“I’ve followed State of Origin, I know it’s not AFL football, but seeing how he moves, seeing how he hits, he’s going to bring another dimension to an AFL football team,” he said.

“Powerful, strong, quick and probably averages 23 tackles in a game. We’re lucky to average 40 in a whole side. He’s built for that, built for the physical demands of AFL football.

“Technically we are going to have do some work with him but that’s no different to some of the Irish players who have crossed over. We are probably at an advantage given he played competitive AFL football as a teenager, so he’s someone with a history in the game.

“We will sit down and map out his next 18 months and work out from a physical point of view and a technical side of things a program but I can’t wait to get my hands on him.”

AFL General Manager Legal and Business Affairs, Andrew Dillon, who also chairs the AFL List Development committee, said Hunt would bring the passion of representing Queensland and Australia and the professionalism of playing with one of the top sporting clubs in the country to a young developing AFL side.

He said Hunt would also work with the AFL and AFL Queensland to promote and develop the game over the next three years.

“The AFL Queensland staff identified him as an elite schoolboy talent but missed signing him. He has been one of the biggest names in Queensland sport and now has the opportunity to play at the elite level in the AFL while also taking a leadership role in promoting the code,” he said.

“This is about an elite sportsman coming to our game. In doing so he follows successful AFL players such as Tadgh Kennelly from Gaelic football and Dean Brogan from basketball who have competed at an elite level in another sport.

“Our game is a game for all body types, whether you are 211cm like Aaron Sandilands, a small and speedy type like Luke Power, or someone like Karmichael Hunt. We commend the Gold Coast Football Club for their innovative approach and wish Karmichael all the best for his AFL career.”

Karmichael Hunt said he wanted to continue to play sport at the highest level but also wanted to stay in Queensland and play with a team representing his home state.

“If I had to leave Brisbane then I preferred to change codes rather than change teams as I did not want to play against the Brisbane Broncos,” he said.

“For me this is about the challenge of playing AFL at the highest level. The Gold Coast Football Club has given me a great opportunity to be part of its journey to AFL in 2011.

“I played AFL as a teenager and I am really excited by the challenge to change codes and still play at the elite level and for a Queensland team in a national competition. I can’t wait.”