AFL Media’s Josh Gabelich is excited to see what new Melbourne recruit Lachie Hunter can do heading into next season.
The wingman made the move to the Demons in the 2022 trade period, having spent the last 10 seasons with the Bulldogs, highlighted by a best and fairest nod in 2018.
After strong performances in match simulation so far this pre-season, Gabelich is impressed with where Hunter is at.
“I watched him go toe to toe with Ed Langdon on the wing in about 40 minutes of match sim on Wednesday and he got plenty of it,” he told SEN Mornings.
“He’s missed a couple of sessions but he looked pretty good on Wednesday.”
Despite looking comfortable, Hunter has dealt with an interrupted pre-season so far, missing multiple sessions due to illness.
“He’s missed a few sessions so far in the pre-season, bit of a flu going through some clubs in bits and pieces,” Gabelich said.
“It’s not COVID, but there’s just a little illness.”
The 28-year-old was acquired by the Demons to complement star wingman Ed Langdon, with the pairing looking to be a dominant duo if healthy.
“They’ve already got one of the best wingmen in the comp in Ed Langdon, so if Lachie Hunter can get back to his best, they’re going to have an awesome wing combination,” Gabelich said.
“(Melbourne) obviously identified a spot on the wing that they needed to address, that’s why they were so into Karl Amon heading into the trade period, they missed out on him to Hawthorn obviously.”
2022 was a difficult year for Hunter, with the star taking an extended period of leave from the club for personal reasons, playing just 10 games for the year.
However, Gabelich is urging footy fans to remember how dominant Hunter can be when at his best.
“This guy is a best and fairest winner, we can’t forget that, that was only a couple of years ago,” he said.
“He’s had some on-field and off-field issues so if he can get himself right, I think he can come in and play a pretty critical role for them.”
Hunter averaged 19.5 disposals for the Bulldogs in 2022, ending his streak of seven consecutive seasons averaging 20+ touches.