Former Sun Karmichael back in the hunt

FORMER Suns AFL player Karmichael Hunt says his journey away from rugby league and the issues he has faced have given him a greater appreciation of mental health.

Hunt, 34, was a Brisbane Broncos NRL player from 2004 to 2009, including a premiership win in 2006, before switching codes to play in the AFL for the Gold Coast

Suns and then both international and local rugby.

He has played at the highest level in most of Australia’s football codes, from the Kangaroos to the Wallabies, but he has also endured some low points during that time.

In 2015, he was embroiled in multiple drug scandals, including the famous cocaine probe in 2015, as well as a separate incident in 2017 when he pleaded guilty to being in possession of the prescription drug Xanax.

Hunt has not shied away from his past and said that he was a “much more mature player now” than 12 years ago.

He has opened up on how dealing with several off-field issues has helped him become a greater advocate for mental health.

“It’s probably a social discussion now which is more prevalent. I probably understand my mental space a lot more,” he said.

“It helped me in good stead for many parts of my career but when it came to my personal choices and how I was feeling, it probably worked against me.

“The journey from going away from league and all of my off-field issues, I’ve got a greater appreciation for mental health and looking after my mental health.”