VFL 2018: Liam Hunt signs at Williamstown after quitting Coburg

COBURG best and fairest winner Liam Hunt will return to the VFL in 2019 in the hope of reigniting his AFL draft ambitions.

Toby Prime

2 min read

October 4, 2018 - 4:00PM

Heidelberg Leader

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COBURG best and fairest winner Liam Hunt will resume his VFL career at Williamstown in the hope of reigniting his AFL draft ambitions.

Hunt quit the state league in June and played out the year at Northern league club North Heidelberg.

But he will make his return to the VFL in 2019 at the Seagulls after signing with the perennial contender late last month.

Hunt’s emergence into one of the league’s premier on-ballers last year had attracted attention from AFL recruiters.

Liam Hunt slips a tackle for North Heidelberg. Picture: Nathan McNeill

He was also named in the 2017 VFL team of the year.

Hunt said he still harboured ambitions of making it at the top level.

“I’m only 23 so I’ve maybe got a two or three-year window where I can give it a crack,” Hunt said.

“All I need to worry about is getting fit and playing some good VFL footy again.

“‘Collo’ (coach Andy Collins) has always had an interest in me.

“I was thinking about the idea, not just this year, but he called me last year and wanted me over.

“I was umming and ahhing and I gave Coburg another year but ever since I’ve come down to training I’ve loved it down there.

“That’s why it was pretty much an easy decision to sign on for next year.”

Coburg will also be without its captain in 2019 after it was confirmed on Thursday morning Tom Goodwin would be joining Port Melbourne.

Hunt said he took calls from other clubs but was intent on signing at Williamstown.

“The facilities are great, the coach is unreal and the boys are good so heaps of boxes were ticked when I was down there,” he said.

“I was open to a phone call or two, there were a few clubs calling me but I never really went to the next stage of catching up or anything like that.

“I was pretty keen on the idea of coming to Willi where it was not aligned to an AFL club.

“Success has always been in their nature and I just wanted to be a part of it.”

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