Cameron Hunter
Encyclopedia
Cameron Hunter is a former Australian rules football
er, who played with the Melbourne Football Club
in the Australian Football League
(AFL) and currently plays with Sandringham in the Victorian Football League
(VFL), having previously played with Box Hill. He is the son of former Carlton
premiership player and All-Australian, Ken Hunter
.
star, Ken Hunter, he was educated at Xavier College
and played his junior football with the Aberfeldie Football Club
and also with the Calder Cannons
in the TAC Cup
. Hunter represented Xavier in football and athletics, once coming second in the Associated Public Schools
combined sports' high jump, with a personal best of two metres.
, by the Melbourne Football Club
, despite his initial belief that he would not be selected, due to Carlton deciding not to select him with a father-son
selection. He was known during his high school playing days for having the same fearlessness and aerial ability as his father, with Melbourne recruiting manager, Craig Cameron, describing him as "a really exciting talent. He can really jump up and mark it. He's got a big engine and is brave in the air". Despite disappointment at not going to his father's old club of Carlton, Hunter was stil excited at being selected by Melbourne, saying "it gives me the chance to really do it my own way". Carlton decided against drafting Hunter, despite the fact that his father was Carlton's board at the time, claiming that Hunter was too skinny; ironically the same reason that his father was not selected by Richmond
in the early 1980s.
in round 18 of the 2003 season and, although only having two possessions, he was selected in the side the next week against Geelong
, when he had two handballs, one kick and three tackles. This, however, was to be Hunter's last match at AFL level. Hunter remained on Melbourne's list for the 2004 season and, although he bulked up in the pre-season, he was still one of the lightest players in the AFL, and he failed to play a match for the season. Melbourne then delisted him at the end of the 2004 season. He played with Sandringham for the season, but was dropped from the team on the eve of the their Grand Final victory.
. In 2009, Hunter rejoined Sandringham, and played with them for the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er, who played with the Melbourne Football Club
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(AFL) and currently plays with Sandringham in the Victorian Football League
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
(VFL), having previously played with Box Hill. He is the son of former Carlton
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
premiership player and All-Australian, Ken Hunter
Ken Hunter
Ken Hunter is a former champion Australian rules football player who played for the Carlton Football Club in the VFL ....
.
Early life
The son of CarltonCarlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
star, Ken Hunter, he was educated at Xavier College
Xavier College
Xavier College is a Roman Catholic, day and boarding school predominantly for boys, with its main campus located in Kew, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
and played his junior football with the Aberfeldie Football Club
Aberfeldie Football Club
Aberfeldie Football Club is an Australian rules football club located 9 km north-west of Melbourne in the suburb of Aberfeldie which entered the Essendon District Football League in 1948....
and also with the Calder Cannons
Calder Cannons
The Calder Cannons are an Australian rules football club from Melbourne, Australia.The club competes in the TAC Cup and fields squads in the U15, 16 and most importantly the U18s. The club was formed in 1995 after the need for two more metropolitan clubs...
in the TAC Cup
TAC Cup
The TAC Cup is an under 18 Australian rules football representative competition held in Victoria, Australia. It is based on geographic regions throughout country Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne with each team representing 12 Victorian regions....
. Hunter represented Xavier in football and athletics, once coming second in the Associated Public Schools
Associated Public Schools of Victoria
The Associated Public Schools of Victoria are a group of eleven elite independent schools in Victoria, Australia, similar to the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales in New South Wales....
combined sports' high jump, with a personal best of two metres.
Draft
He was taken with 54th selection in the 2002 National Draft2002 AFL Draft
The 2002 AFL Draft consisted of a pre-season draft, a national draft, a trade period and the elevation of rookies. The AFL Draft is the annual draft of talented players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League.In 2002...
, by the Melbourne Football Club
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
, despite his initial belief that he would not be selected, due to Carlton deciding not to select him with a father-son
Father-son rule
The father-son rule is a rule that allows clubs to select the sons of players who have made a major past contribution to the team in Australian rules football, most notably the Australian Football League...
selection. He was known during his high school playing days for having the same fearlessness and aerial ability as his father, with Melbourne recruiting manager, Craig Cameron, describing him as "a really exciting talent. He can really jump up and mark it. He's got a big engine and is brave in the air". Despite disappointment at not going to his father's old club of Carlton, Hunter was stil excited at being selected by Melbourne, saying "it gives me the chance to really do it my own way". Carlton decided against drafting Hunter, despite the fact that his father was Carlton's board at the time, claiming that Hunter was too skinny; ironically the same reason that his father was not selected by Richmond
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
in the early 1980s.
Melbourne
Hunter began his career at a weight of 64 kilogram, 5 kilogram lighter than any other AFL listed player. However, Hunter did begin to bulk up in his first few months and he showed enough form in the VFL, playing for Melbourne's VFL-affiliate Sandringham, to be selected in Melbourne's senior side towards the end of the season, due to Melbourne's poor form. He debuted against the Western BulldogsWestern Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
in round 18 of the 2003 season and, although only having two possessions, he was selected in the side the next week against Geelong
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
, when he had two handballs, one kick and three tackles. This, however, was to be Hunter's last match at AFL level. Hunter remained on Melbourne's list for the 2004 season and, although he bulked up in the pre-season, he was still one of the lightest players in the AFL, and he failed to play a match for the season. Melbourne then delisted him at the end of the 2004 season. He played with Sandringham for the season, but was dropped from the team on the eve of the their Grand Final victory.
Post-AFL career
After being delisted by Melbourne, his affiliation with Sandringham also came to an end and Hunter subsequently joined the Box Hill Hawks Football Club in the VFL for the 2005 season. Hunter spent three seasons at Box Hill and was awarded Box Hill's Most Courageous Player award for the 2006 season. Hunter spent the majority of 2008 overseas and finished off the season playing with Balwyn in the Eastern Football LeagueEastern Football League (Australia)
The Eastern Football League is an Australian rules football League, based in the eastern suburbs of metropolitan Melbourne....
. In 2009, Hunter rejoined Sandringham, and played with them for the 2009 and 2010 seasons.