[2] Hunter represented Xavier in football and athletics, once coming second in the Associated Public Schools combined sports' high jump, with a personal best of two metres.
He was known during his high school playing days for having the same fearlessness and aerial ability as his father,[2] with Melbourne recruiting manager, Craig Cameron, describing him as "a really exciting talent.
He debuted against the Western Bulldogs in round 18 of the 2003 season[4] and, although only having two possessions, he was selected in the side the next week against Geelong, when he had two handballs, one kick and three tackles.
[5] He played with Sandringham for the season, but was dropped from the team on the eve of their Grand Final victory.
[5] After being delisted by Melbourne, his affiliation with Sandringham also came to an end and Hunter subsequently joined the Box Hill Hawks Football Club in the VFL for the 2005 season.