He attended Viewbank College and was recruited by the Essendon Football Club with the fifth overall selection in the 2008 national draft.

"[6] Ahead of the 2010 season, Hurley inherited the famous number 18 guernsey from retired club great Matthew Lloyd.

[7] The following four seasons saw Hurley's form fluctuate due to injury and the constant shuffling of his position in the team between both ends of the ground.

He was suspended for two years which, with backdating, ended in November 2016; as a result, he served approximately fourteen months of his suspension and missed the entire 2016 AFL season.

[11][12] Hurley is an ambassador for the MAD Foundation,[13] an Australian health charity supporting young people with disability.