MATT Burgan catches up with exciting young Melbourne half-back Jayden Hunt, who has been part of an impressive new-wave of players entering the team’s 22 this year

MB: You’ve played 12 games for the club this year, which is a great effort, given the injuries you had in your first two years. How have you assessed you season?

JH: I’m just loving being out there at any level – just being out on the park and playing footy is good. It’s crazy that I’ve played 12 games already [as] it doesn’t feel like that at all. I had a conversation with a mate the other day and he asked me how many [games] I’d played and I thought I’d played maybe seven or eight – and it was 12 [games], so time has just flown. I’m enjoying every moment of it.

MB: You’re about to play your 13^th AFL game – something you didn’t manage in the VFL in 2014 or 2015.

JH: No, I think about six has been my PB with all of those injuries, so it’s good just to be out there continually and ticking over training sessions and getting fit. I’m just loving being out on the park.

MB: How have you found adjusting to the continuity of playing this many games, since you hadn’t played that many in a row in 2014 or 2015?

JH: As a young fella, you’ve just got to keep on top of all your extra things to keep your body right, all of the ice baths and thing like that. To be honest, my body has been feeling really good. I think that’s on the back of all the rehab that I did over the past couple of years and all of the physio and Pilates. It’s enabled my body to get stronger and now I can actually get through games, recover well and be fresh for the next week. It hasn’t been as hard as [it might be] for a first year player, just because I’ve done that bulk of work over the past two years. While injury is bad, there are a lot positives that [can] come out of an injury early in your career.

MB: Your past two weeks, in particular, have been very good. Do you believe your game has gone to another level over the past two weeks?

JH: I’ve definitely got more confidence now, but Roosy’s (Paul Roos) comment about my 14-disposal game being one of the best [he’d seen] put me in the media. I don’t know if he regrets saying it – it was a big statement that I don’t really believe in, but it gave me a bit more media hype. I’ve been really working on my game for a while and getting more confidence at the level and using my attributes to take people on. I’m looking to continue to build on that and get better and better.

MB: You went from your 14-disposal game against Adelaide to notching up 29 touches against Fremantle last round. Your previous best was 18. It was quite a jump. Did you gain a lot of confidence from the Adelaide game to the Freo match?

JH: A little bit as you demand the ball a lot more. To be honest, I’m trying to find a game between the two because I think the week before against Adelaide, I used the ball really well and my disposals had a real impact on the game, whereas last weekend [against Fremantle] I was a bit annoyed in the greasy conditions and some of my kicks weren’t too good, but it was good to get plenty of the ball. Hopefully in the next few weeks it clicks and I get quite a bit of the ball, so I can actually impact [the game] and use my attributes like I did in the Adelaide game.

MB: After suffering back problems in your first two years, how is your body holding up?

JH: I don’t really have to monitor it, as I don’t really notice it, but I definitely keep on top of all of the exercises I used to do. Rather than waiting for a niggle and then acting on it, I can just stay strong and hopefully it (the injury) is a thing of the past, because it is really common in younger guys. But as bodies start to mature, the likelihood of it coming back is quite slim. Fingers crossed that the injuries stay a way for a while.

MB: Clayton Oliver, James Harmes and Christian Petracca have all received NAB AFL Rising Star nominations this year. Is that something you’re aiming for by the season’s end?

JH: Personally I don’t look at it. I’m just really looking to improve my game and keep on playing consistent footy and if I get one, it’s a bonus. But I’m not really too fussed about whether I get one or not.

MB: Is there a bit of talk from your teammates about it?

JH: (Laughs) I’ve had a few boys around the club tease me about it that I’m going to get one soon.

MB: Given that you’ll be pushing around the 20-game mark by the end of the season, could you have imagined that would happen this year on the back of the past two years with your injuries?

JH: My goals for this year were to stay on the park, get the body right and start playing consistent footy. I didn’t know what level that would be with, but if my form wasn’t good enough to get me into the AFL, I was happy to consistently work away at Casey and if I got my chance [to play AFL], I wanted to take it with both hands. I was lucky enough to get a game early on the season and hopefully I can continue my form and make sure I stay in the team.

MB: As for the rest of the season, what are you hoping to get out of it?

JH: I just really want to build on my performances and get a really rounded game, so just trying to impact the game as much as I can, whether that’s defensive work, contest work or using my speed in offense – just using my attributes so that I can really benefit the team. I really just want to try and help the team to win as many games as we can because we’ve got such a young team and I’m really looking forward to the future with all of the fellas here.