Karmichael Hunt's stint as a rugby union player has come to a close.

He made a fine fist of it, too, his provincial side Biarritz coming within a whisker of upsetting the almost unbackable Toulouse in the prestigious Heineken Cup European club championship decider last weekend. And in the end it was a flash of Hunt brilliance that nearly stole the show. With Toulouse seemingly in control and with the clock counting down Hunt crossed late for the only try of the match and brought his team within two points of one of the pre-tournament favourites. In the end, though, it wasn't quite enough.

But, as they say: c'est la vie.

And, as always, all endings preface fresh beginnings.

In the case of Karmichael Hunt, those beginnings mean a new country, a new contract, a new sporting home in Gold Coast Football Club, and most importantly a brand new sport.

So can Karmichael Hunt succeed at a third elite level of elite football?

Everyone has an opinion. There's the conservatives who say it can't be done, the purists who say it shouldn't be done, the cynics who say it's all an expensive marketing exercise, and the glass-half-fullers who Hunt is an athlete the likes of whom will win at just about anything. And in just a few short weeks, we'll get the first indications as to who was the most right.

Hunt will be up against it. The camera's will be watching. The knives will be out. So too the tall poppy choppers whose machete's will be razor sharp. They'll sneer every fumble. They'll scoff at every muffed kick. And for every right-foot punt he hits flush, there'll be plenty of them who ask: 'what about his left?'

Not that Hunt's likely to let any of that get to him. Hunt is a professional sportsman. He's used to the fickle flicker of the spotlight. All he cares about now is achieving what he set out to achieve - to be the first ever to play all three codes at an elite level. And with two already down and just one remaining, who is anyone else to stop him trying? I don’t let too much bother me," he said just last week. "I just go about my business doing what I’m doing at the time. I’m comfortable in my skin and back my decision [to play AFL] one hundred percent and that’s all that matters to me."

Simple as that.

But no matter where you stand on the 'will he or won't he' debate, your eyes will be glued. Because one thing all football followers love is an important moment that they can look back upon and say without a word of a lie: "I was there when it happened. I saw it myself."

And so, maybe, here comes such a moment. With a rugby league international- cum-rugby-union-star about to embark on his most challenging quest yet by lining up in an AFL jumper , you may well be about to witness the beginning of a footballing revolution.