""Last year I had school and I moved to Melbourne from my family in Geelong. Now I am living with my cousin and I am working part-time at the detention centre. I was unsettled off the field and looking back that definitely affected my on-field performance. This year I played Wizard Cup and I know I can play. Last year I was thinking this is AFL - am I good enough?""
Hunt started pre-season training in August, focussing on improving his fitness and strength. His main goal was to play at least one senior game this season. ""All pre-season my focus was on playing a senior game and then seeing what happens after that. I just wanted to play that one game and take it from there,"" Hunt said.
With the solid pre-season under his belt, Hunt was a lot more confident heading into the 2002 season. ""I have got myself fit and am playing good footy. Everything away from footy has also improved. I have improved my diet and am focussed on being the best I can be,"" the 19-year-old said. ""Last year I was sort of a link up player. My kicking was the main thing I was good at. Now I am confident playing at full-back on a good full-forward - taking marks, spoiling and tackling. Whereas last year I didn't do all of it, I just did a few things. I was a bit overawed by the whole experience. This year I am a lot happier.""
Unfortunately Hunt injured his knee in Round 1 and ended up missing six games. ""I think the knee injury has affected my season. I wouldn't say I was going to play seniors when I did it but I knew I was pretty close - I was emergency for the Round 1 match. So, it was pretty disappointing,"" said the former Geelong Falcons player.
Hunt returned to the VFL in Round 7 and has been solid at full-back. He has been improving and gaining confidence with every match and played one of his best games at the club last weekend against Geelong. However, Hunt is determined to play a senior game this season. Hunt along with 2001 VFL best and fairest winner Marc Bullen and 2001 draftee Simon O'Keefe are the only listed players not to play a senior game in 2002. ""I want to play well in the VFL and I still want to play a senior game this year. I don't want to be here for two years and not play ones. That is my main aim. If I keep playing well in the twos I figure they are going to have to pick me sooner or later in the seniors,"" Hunt said.
What Floody says:
Sam Hunt has improved a lot this year. He did a big pre-season which he probably started in August last year. He had a challenging year last year trying to combine VCE and football - that made his year a bit tougher. This year he has improved a lot due to his pre-season - he has got stronger, fitter, faster, his skills have improved and he is more experienced. He needs to gain some confidence out of continually playing four quarters of footy and he is getting that at the moment. He still has a way to go with his all-round game but the best thing from the club's point of view is he has made improvement and he is only really first year out of the draft because he is 18-year-old.
