KARMICHAEL Hunt and the Gold Coast have a very big decision to make - perhaps even as early as the end of this season.

And when they make it - either in the coming months or at the end of the 2015 season - it could bring a premature end to Hunt's much publicised AFL career.

The 26-year-old AFL convert is contracted to the Suns until the end of next year, but the more I look at the club's development the more convinced I am that he is no longer in their best 22.

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That gulf looks like growing in the coming years as the star-studded Suns begin to reach for the finals next year and beyond.

Hunt has become a victim of Gold Coast's rapid development of its playing list.

Watching the ease with which Israel Folau has transferred to rugby union this season and seeing that Hunt is no longer a part of the Suns' best team, it might prompt the utility to consider switching codes yet again. Perhaps even as early as the end of this season.

Or it might see the Suns make their own decision on his future.

Don't get me wrong, I am a big fan of what Hunt has done over the past few years.

His commitment to be the best AFL player he could be, after his success in rugby league and rugby union, must be admired and it has been a win for all parties concerned.

He has done his bit by playing 41 AFL games so far, taking on a massive challenge and working exceptionally hard to make an impact on the club - and the game.

He has achieved so much more than Folau did in his short time with Greater Western Sydney.

As far as Hunt's impact goes, just ask Richmond supporters. They will never forget his after-the-siren goal to sink the Tigers in Cairns last year - it still gives them nightmares.

media_camera Tackle ... Hunt found a niche as a hard-hitting midfielder with the Suns.

He did what so few players have done in their entire playing careers, coolly slotting the ball through under enormous pressure in a great moment in the Suns' short history.

The move has been an overall win for the Suns, highlighting how good their development program is in fast-tracking Hunt to AFL standard in a short period of time.

It's just that time - and the development of some young Suns players - might have gone past him.

Without doubt, it has been a win for the AFL, which has gained millions of dollars' worth of promotion from him as well as the on-going interest of those who follow the rugby codes.

I remember being sceptical when I attended Karmichael Hunt's first VFL game in 2010, before a small crowd out at Craigieburn.

I marked him on 10 key indicators that afternoon, and it is fair to say he and the Suns looked to have plenty of work to do at that stage.

The great thing is that they put in the hard yards and when I looked back at those same indicators this week, we have seen significant improvement.

The player and the club deserves a massive pat on the back for that.

media_camera League ... Hunt in his days as a Brisbane Bronco

But the improvement, coupled with some injuries, has not been enough to see him stay a part of the Suns' best 22. He is not, and won't be in the future.

My worry is that there seems to be no real defined position for him with the Gold Coast Suns.

He is not really a back man; he doesn't have the engine to compete in the midfield for sustained periods of time; he is not a tagger as he lacks a bit of endurance running; and as a forward, he doesn't have the footy smarts of Lindsay Thomas or Stephen Milne.

That might make the decision for him, and for the club, who could have some money freed up to chase new talent and reward the talent they already have.

When that times comes - and it almost certainly will - we should celebrate what Hunt took on and achieved, rather than dwell on how brief his AFL career might have been.