Plaatjies became the first player in Premier Soccer League history to score a hat-trick on debut when he netted three times against Marumo Gallants on Friday.
He might be a new name to many, but for those who saw him scoring for fun in the Diski Challenge competition, it will come as no surprise.
Hunt was effusive in his praise after selecting the 20-year-old ahead of the likes of Bradley Grobler and Ashley du Preez.
“He's not a striker, this boy, he's a goal scorer. Now there's a big difference for me,” Hunt said.
“He is like ... if I'm going to say this it’ll be all over the media ... like Mark Williams. The build-ups, you don't get him involved, but he can score goals.
“I saw him in preseason. I thought, ‘my God’, you know? And the name, when I saw his name as well, I mean, I hope he's not a road runner!” added Hunt, in reference to South African athlete Mark Plaatjies, who later ran for the US at the World Championships in 1993.
“He's a natural goal scorer, and that's hard to find. And there's a difference between a striker and a goal scorer. The striker holds it up, and you can run, and, you know, you press, and this guy scores goals.
“In training, he scores goals every day, and in the preseason, he was scoring goals. And I thought, ‘Yeah, tonight's the night at home’. You know, I wouldn't have played him in our first two away games; it was a bit early for that.”
Plaatjies’ first goal was a composed finish from the edge of the box before two headers from pinpoint crosses by fellow academy product Raoul Daniels sealed his history-making milestone.
Williams netted both goals off the bench as Bafana beat Tunisia 2-0 in the final of the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations. He was a consummate goal-poacher who also played in England with Wolverhampton Wanderers, as well as having stints in Brazil, Belgium and China.
Stellenbosch are next in action away at Lamontville Golden Arrows on August 26.
