Spent Hunt's season over
Karmichael Hunt's VFL season is over after Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna admitted his multi-million dollar recruit was "physically spent".
Hunt failed to gain a kick during the Suns' one-point win over bottom-placed Werribee at Southport and spent the last 10 minutes of the match sitting on the bench.
Though there is one VFL match remaining, McKenna declared Hunt will be kept on ice until next year.
"He's just physically spent and I doubt he'll play next week," McKenna said.
Hunt returned from a rugby union season in France to join the Suns mid-way through the VFL year, where he has been trialed as a defender, a forward and a midfielder.
Against the Tigers on Saturday, Hunt started in defence before being switched between the forward and backline after half-time, but he had no influence and struggled to read the play.
His best contribution came in the second term when he had a couple of slick handballs in quick succession but that was virtually his only highlight for the day.
He ended with four handballs and failed to put on a decent tackle.
Hunt looked weary and left the ground in the final term walking gingerly, although McKenna says his gun recruit is tired and not injured.
"He's come off a rugby league preseason and rolled into a union season and half a VFL season," McKenna said.
"He's shown enough and we reckon he'll settle down back initially.
"At least we know what sort of conditioning program we are going to have to give him this preseason coming up.
"He's given us a legitimate defender for round one 2011, for sure."
The Suns led by as much as five goals before hanging on to win 15.9 (99) to 14.14 (98) in front of 1,500 spectators at Southport.
