Lachie Hunter wants to win back his role as Western Bulldogs vice-captain
A drunken car crash cost Lachie Hunter the leadership role he loved at the Western Bulldogs. But with his suspension now served, he has his sights set on winning his way back to the vice-captaincy.
Bulldogs
Don't miss out on the headlines from Bulldogs. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Western Bulldogs premiership star Lachie Hunter has set his sights on winning back the club’s vice-captaincy – a position he never dreamed of holding only a few years ago.
Hunter, 25, relinquished the title after crashing into four parked cars while under the influence of alcohol and breaking COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in April.
The polished wingman revealed some frank discussions with coach Luke Beveridge and skipper Marcus Bontempelli helped him realise the title was untenable.
“It just wouldn’t seem right given what had happened and for the rest of the year it would’ve seemed just a little bit uncomfortable to sit in front of the group as their vice-captain,” Hunter said.
“We addressed that pretty quickly and I just chose to stand down.”
Bulldogs chief executive Ameet Bains has said the club was poised to strip the title when it issued Hunter with a four-game suspension and $5000 fine.
Kayo is your ticket to the 2020 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. Watch every match of every round Live & On-Demand. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
Hunter returned to the line-up last week and was one of the club’s best players in the 52-point loss to Carlton, gathering a game-high 27 disposals and dominating the middle stretch of the contest.
The father-son star has already raised $5290 for the Alfred hospital road accident trauma program through his Dry July fundraiser.
“It was probably worse on my family (in the immediate aftermath), because you feel like you’ve let them down, the club, you’ve let other people down, the people whose cars were hurt and the potential injury that could’ve been caused,” Hunter said.
“That’s probably where your mind goes in those immediate few days after it.”
Hunter said losing his leadership position was “a huge one” given how hard he had worked to get there.
“I said to the boys it was probably something I never thought I would get when I got to the club,” he said.
“Even three or four years in I was probably miles off being anywhere near considered to be vice-captain.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE HERALD SUN FOOTY PODCAST
“But things changed pretty quick there with on-field leadership and (elevation into) the leadership group came with that and the vice-captaincy came at the start of the year.
“It hurt a lot, and it still does. Even running out on the weekend I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about it once or twice.
“I’d love to get back there to be vice-captain. It’s probably going to be hard to pip Bont if we’re being serious, but definitely there’s aspirations to get back in that leadership group.
“That can only come over time and it’s going to take a fair bit of time to build back that trust from the coaches, the players, the board (and) the fans.
“Whether that’s next year, whether that’s in a few years … it might not ever come, and that’s fine as well. But I’ll be doing everything I can to get there.”
Hunter completed fitness sessions with premiership captain Easton Wood during the lockdown and then acted as a role model for the club’s younger players, whom he trained closely with once the season resumed.
MORE AFL
AFL aiming for 19 consecutive days of footy, but will players go for it?
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has saved the AFL season, Mark Robinson writes
He played in several scratch matches and even represented North Melbourne – lining up on teammates Pat Lipinski and Rhylee West – to even up the numbers before the Dogs’ Round 3 win against GWS.
“The actions and behaviours that got me to that point of being voted in to vice-captain don’t change,” he said.
Speaking on a club video, as he did when the club’s sanctions were announced, Hunter said there was “an element of pride” in making his AFL return last week.
“It was a long time coming. Four weeks turned into a few months obviously with what went down, and a disappointing result,” he said.
“But there was definitely an element of pride in being back out there in the colours.”