I have been trying to get some debate going on this topic in other threads, but have had no real response, so i felt having it's own thread may be a better option.

I have previously stated that Dunn is one of my favourite young players. He is a good size, possesses great footy smarts and has a real competetive edge. And although i have been a little dissappointed with his season so far, i think that is more reflective on the new role that DB has him playing.

We have all seen him play foward and kick goals, but the reality is that due to his inability to compete in the air will see him never being that key foward we may have drafted him to be.

This has led to his new role as a tagger. It has been interesting to read peoples thoughts on him after games, and i am not sure whether everyone has come to the realisation yet that his new role is to stop a gun player from the opposition. IMO this an extremely important role on any side in todays game. You only need to look around at all the great sides in the league in the last few years and they have at least a couple of "stoppers". We have Bartram, who plays on the smaller, quicker players, but we have no one to do the jobs on todays bigger midfielders.

So far he has done a couple of good defensive jobs, but I think it is too early to start having a crack at him about his lack of disposals, goals or influence on games as he is only just learning the craft.

Cameron Ling was drafted as forward where he played his junior footy, and now plays this role to great effect. I haven't gone back through the stats, but i am pretty sure he would not have got alot of the pill when he first started in this role. The same goes for plyers like Sewell, Kirk, Rawlings, etc.

Thoughts?

he's one of my favourite young players too...

to be honest i probably haven't be paying enough attention to who he's been playing on, and how good a job he's been doing of stopping them getting the ball...

but i wouldnt write him off as a forward just yet, he presented well when he went forward in the last quarter, and if the delivery was a little better he would've taken a couple of marks... seems a natural there, but could still learn to be a great midfielder...

a player we just need to have some patience with i think...

Dunn is struggling and doesn't appear to have much confidence at all this year.

DB has to try something different as Dunn has showed that he does have what it takes to play AFL.

Moose

He has been dissapointing but played quite an impressive game on Monday. Clearly has the abillity to shut down a player i.e. hel Dane Swan to 4 posessions for the first half but needs to add another bow to his strings the obivous one getting more of the ball himself. With the injury to Beamer he really should be consolidating his spot in the midfield .

he did shut down lenny hayes the week before.

i dunno...

dunn seems pretty mercurial to me..... he has the ability to do some really good things..... i just hope one day he can explode on to the scene.

take a look at alot of his goals over his career, lot of really nice snap or cheaky goals.

done some good taggin roles but id like to see him come into the game more

DUD

DUD

You are a moron.

Dud's dont weave through heavy traffic & snap mercurial goals like he did on Monday.

Try turning up to a game once in a while

I think you're probably right re: Dunn being unfairly judged, given it's easier to judge people on what they do with the ball, rather than what they do without it.

Got a feeling he's going to have a big second half of the year - just like 2007. Who has memories of him playing a stellar game at the Dome against the Dogs in rd 19 when he played a blinder in the midfield kicking 2 gls.

I think Sylvia and Dunn are the two MFC players to look out for, till seasons end.

Nah, he's a dud fair dinkum, when will some people get a clue.

I think dunn has great potential but i must admit i'm worried. I think my worry will ease as he gets more game time and settles into one position/role

I'm one of the "i don't know why dunn moved from the forwardline" people and still think he may play his best footy there, but obviously has the motor and commitment to go with players.

Should be an interesting player to watch

Dunn did some great shut down jobs last year and has again this year, I think he plays his best football when he can concentrate on a job like tagging, I'd happily see him develop there, after a while he will gain confidence and win more of his won ball as well as shutting others down.

We don't need him to be a shut down player we need to to be the forward that he was drafted for. My concern is that when in the midfield he can run all day but when up forward he doesn't have the same work ethic. If he can run in the midfield he should be able to run any CHB of there legs. Dunn and Bate should be our hard running HFF. I don't mind the look of Dunn Miller and Bate accross our half forward line all can run and present and Dunn seems to have a good goal sense. We are wasting our time with him as a defensive midfielder, we will have Grimes, Bartram, Petterd, Cheny for that role.

in the third quarter he was moved deep in the fwd line. three or four times he led out and tried to contest marks but looked confused and lost in his attempts. I think he could be a dangerous running player from the half forward or back flank. I don't think he will ever be a key forward or marking player He has been showing glimpses for a long time now but cant consisently produce. How long has he been on the list?

A good topic Jerry! I reckon he could become one of the very good run-with players. He has a great tank - everyone knows of his beep test exploits at te draft camp. He will never be a reliable marking target up forward; I think a defensive mid-field role is the go.

Was told by one of our coaches on Monday that Lynden is being trained for a 'Ling type role'..... I'm glad to see that someone recognised that, it means he's performing well

I think now being a tagger is Dunn's last chance, but I am not holding my breath.

Give the kid a break...............he is a good young player who was one of the youngest in his draft...............plenty of up side.........just give him some time to adjust and settle into being an afl player.

I think we need to develop a stopper of some sort, but hope we don't create one like Ling or Rawlings. These guys take hard tagging to a disgusting level. Ling just hugs his oppenent at every contest. I wish the umpires had enough courage to start pinging these blokes, even if the player they are tagging isn't Chris Judd.

Was told by one of our coaches on Monday that Lynden is being trained for a 'Ling type role'..... I'm glad to see that someone recognised that, it means he's performing well

Exactly the comparison I thought of when he they started giving him tagging roles this year. He has a similar physique and has the skills to run off his man and be damaging in attack, when to do that will be a massive learning curve though. If he can shut down players as well as push forward occassionally and kick a goal or two a game like Ling was last year he could be very, very valuable.

I dont see him making it as a permanent half forward, not strong enough overhead or imposing enough, Bate and Miller are much better options.

I think we need to develop a stopper of some sort, but hope we don't create one like Ling or Rawlings. These guys take hard tagging to a disgusting level.

The more disgusting the better. If the umpire doesnt pull it up its within the rules Unfortunately Im not sure if I see the same sort of tenacity in Dunn, although Rawlings never struck me as that sort of player early in his career and he's effective now.

Not a bad job by Dunn on Foley today.

I didn't think it would be a good matchup due to the size differnce but Dunn definitely limited his effectiveness.

Over time i think he will learn to win a bit more ball and know when to hurt his player going the other way.

Nah, he's a dud fair dinkum, when will some people get a clue.

I think dunn has great potential but i must admit i'm worried. I think my worry will ease as he gets more game time and settles into one position/role

I'm one of the "i don't know why dunn moved from the forwardline" people and still think he may play his best footy there, but obviously has the motor and commitment to go with players.

Should be an interesting player to watch

I think he hears footsteps & doesn't particularly like the hard stuff so I think they're running him on the ball minding other top mids whilst he's learning the midfield caper. He's got a good engine & a footy brain but lacks confidance being out there. Thats OK, he'll grow out this little kids stuff i'm sure.

Well worth watching him develope over the next few seasons, I don't think we'll see him @ his best for at least 2 years.

Not a bad job by Dunn on Foley today.

I didn't think it would be a good matchup due to the size differnce but Dunn definitely limited his effectiveness.

Over time i think he will learn to win a bit more ball and know when to hurt his player going the other way.

16 possessions for foley, so you'd say he was effective... he could become a great tagger, def. has the potential... question is whether he can learn to get the ball himself...

Not a bad job by Dunn on Foley today.

I didn't think it would be a good matchup due to the size differnce but Dunn definitely limited his effectiveness.

Over time i think he will learn to win a bit more ball and know when to hurt his player going the other way.

I agree, I think even though Foley had 16 disposals he wasn't too damaging. If Dunn can learn how to be attacking as well as negating his opponent (which I think he is capable of) then he'll be a handy tagger, but I don't know whether the coaches will have the faith in him.