AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan's send-off message to outgoing Gold Coast player Karmichael Hunt may have carried an inadvertently humorous touch, but the Rugby League convert's four-year stint in the AFL was no laughing matter, says one of football's legends.
In a scathing attack on the AFL, Leigh Matthews criticised move to lure Hunt and fellow NRL player Israel Folau in order to assist the promotion of expansion clubs the Suns and GWS.
"Fair dinkum, the AFL and Gillon, if he went out of his way, it was only to justify the exorbitant money that ends what was an ill-advised, ill-fated experiment with the poaching of Israel Folau and Karmichael Hunt from other sports with financial offers just too good to refuse," Matthews told 3AW on Thursday night.
Hunt announced on Thursday what had been long-speculated, that he is leaving the AFL, in all likelihood to join the Queensland Reds in rugby union, although the 27-year-old did not believe that his farewell press conference was an appropriate time to outline his exact plans.
A video message from McLachlan was screened at the media gathering after Hunt had revealed his decision, with the boss paying tibute to Hunt's time in the code.
"The entire AFL community joins me in thanking Karmichael for his contribution to Australia's game and in wishing he and his family all the best for the future," McLachlan said in a statement which caused chuckles on the Gold Coast after an unedited version featuring McLachlan stopping and re-starting his message was shown.
But Matthews - still an active member of the AFL community in his role as a commentator and Brisbane Lions board member - took a polar opposite view to the one espoused by McLachlan.
"I hope it never happens again, I don't believe it should have happened five years ago and I just hope we've learnt our lesson."
"(They've) probably got about $10 million out of the football pool.
"You've had great players retire today, Luke Ball was mentioned and we know Lenny Hayes is playing his last game this week. I was against it at the time," Matthews said.
"I didn't even know (Hunt) had been playing for the last five years," he joked.
Hunt played just one game this year, for a total of 44 over his four seasons in the AFL. He will not play in the Suns' final game of the year against West Coast.
Folau made 13 appearances in his one AFL season at GWS in 2012, before crossing to rugby union where he has been highly successful, earning a reputation as one of the Wallabies' best players.
