Hunt spoke of his excitement for the year ahead and believes the team is full of quality players, young and old.
‘’It’s really exciting for me being one of the older guys, it has gone really quickly, it doesn’t seem that long ago that I was a Steve Motlop or a Mitch Duncan… or one of these guys,’’ Hunt told Cats TV.
‘’The young guys we’ve got in the side at the moment are quality blokes and great footy players.
‘’I think the Geelong supporters should be really excited about the new breed of players coming through, and also the ageless blokes like Corey Enright and Joel Corey that keep doing the same thing year in and year out.
‘’They just set that example for the younger blokes.’’
Each season the club is faced with different obstacles and challenges and Hunt believes the only way to conquer them is through confidence in yourself and your teammates.
He says they need to keep competitive and continue to put their best side forward.
‘’Obviously it’s another different season and it’s going to throw up different challenges just like last years did, I guess all we can do is put our best side out there on the day,’’ Hunt said.
‘’And we know internally and we’re confident that our best side on the park playing as good as they can, can still match with anyone in the comp.
‘’It’s a quiet confidence but at the same time you obviously have to believe in what you’re doing and believe in the guys you put out in the park, otherwise your sort of beat before you start.’’
Each year’s message from senior coach, Chris Scott, doesn’t tend to differ according to Hunt. However, this year there seems to be more focus on the younger players stepping up and being deserving of their position in the team.
‘’It is much of the same, he expects a lot from the younger guys, he demands that they do everything right,’’ Hunt explained.
‘’It is the same message; if you are playing well and you deserve your spot then you will be rewarded with your spot.
‘’You couldn’t put it down to one thing… obviously people speak of culture at footy clubs and stuff like that a lot, and I think at this footy club we have an amazing culture,’’ Hunt said.
‘’The younger guys feel comfortable speaking to the older guys and they want to learn.’’
Hunt explains that Geelong’s preserved success does not only stem from the senior players, but from the professional and valuable insight that the club’s recruiting staff constantly provide.
‘’A lot of it has to come back to Stephen Wells and the recruiting guys for picking out, not just quality football players, but quality young men who want to learn and do the right thing from the word go,’’ Hunt said.
Hunt also told Cats TV that an established club like Geelong gives it the power to continually inspire success amongst its younger and new players.
‘’For young guys coming into Geelong footy club, I think there would be no bigger thrill than to come in to a team that is established, that has had success; and that sort of almost demands success.’’
Having spent a lot of time on the sidelines during preseason, after suffering from glandular fever, Hunt has seen positive development from the younger boys and cannot wait to see what Nathan Vardy delivers when he returns.
‘’I love the way the guys like Thurlow and even Josh Walker excite me and Nathan Vardy, when he comes back fit and firing, he’s another one that can pretty much turn a game up on its head,’’ Hunt said.
