Lynden Dunn

[rpfc 28,480]

He is effectively a small HBFer who should drive attacks forward.

His skills are ok, but his decision making and propensity to think hardness is hitting people leave him vulnerable to be replaced as easily as I think he should be replaced.

Get another Terlich from the state league and plonk him on the HBF.

HBF is the easiest position to play in the whole world ever.

[Clark_Kent 315]

He currently plays as a 3rd or 4th tall. I think the idea should be to keep him playing and try and draft somone in the future who can take his role a be better at it. Possibly someone like Scharenberg if we get a PP. He would then stay on to help develop that player correctly so they aren't expected to come straight into the senior side. This is what we need to get better at and slowly introduce a system where the young players who come in aren't thrown to the wolves.

[titan_uranus 25,020]

I have a soft spot for Dunn because he always has a crack and has a bit of aggro about him. He's a very good niggler - always rated the player who gives the best sledge in the Record player profiles.

I can't believe people still think this is the case.

Dunn does not 'always have a crack' - he squibs contests at a similar rate to Watts. He doesn't have 'aggro', he has misdirected stupidity. He's not a good 'niggler', he's actually a bad one since he continually gives free kicks away.

He is playing in the pocket/flank on someone half his size. He should have no contested marks against him at all seeing Chip, Tommy Mc and Garland take the big boys before him.

I can't have Lynden at all. He is not big enough for a key position and not agile enough for a small.

As per usual he starts the year off as ordinary and then plays a couple games that I would consider as 'par' towards the end and people wish to keep him.

He adds absolutely zero value to our team other than the occasional comical moment. Has been tried in every spot on the ground and has never been close to cementing one. Please move him on.

Agree with this.

In general, I don't think this thread is appropriately timed, as we have players performing at a lower standard to Dunn right now.

But the fact that Dunn is in our team at the moment is an indication of how many players short we are.

Dunn plays on the third/fourth/fifth forward, usually with a height advantage. That's why his marking statistics look decent. His kicking, though long, is generally crap (kicks it too high and often to a poor choice), which is a weakness given he's playing HBF and thus should be providing rebound.

[Deespicable 2,726]

Go back and watch the replay of the Adelaide game and get off Dunn's back.

Yes he made a stupid decision to kick across his body to Nathan Jones when he should have handballed and yes he gave away a dumb free kick with a love tap.

But he also kicked about four 60m balls bang on the money and I'd like to see stats on metres gained by players in the past month - I reckon he'd be No.1 at Melbourne.

Jimmy T was very good on Sunday but made a huge howler in the middle.

Nathan Jones, who was heavily marked again, went sideways 70 per cent of the time and also had no awareness when Danger laid a tackle on him in the middle of the park and the ensuing goal effectively cost us the game.

I am not a Dunn fan and long term I don't see him surviving once we have a better options.

But at the moment he's one of our few linebreakers because so many of our players go sideways or backwards to retain possession.

And because he's actually kicking it forward he'll be more prone to turnovers but his stats in past few weeks have shown his efficiency has been quite high.

One of our big problems is that we don't have a pacey running small defender of the Jarrod Harbrow, Heath Shaw, Andrew Walker ilk to run through the lines.

Until we do, then we need a linebreaker and I'm afraid Dunny's big boot is one of our few options.

[Machsy 2,858]

He currently plays as a 3rd or 4th tall. I think the idea should be to keep him playing and try and draft somone in the future who can take his role a be better at it. Possibly someone like Scharenberg if we get a PP. He would then stay on to help develop that player correctly so they aren't expected to come straight into the senior side. This is what we need to get better at and slowly introduce a system where the young players who come in aren't thrown to the wolves.

To help develop him to play like Dunn?

No thanks. Why waste raw talent by giving him such a did to emulate?

I remember being aghast that Morton had been buddied up with Cam Bruce, so he could learn how to play soft outside footy and sell his teammates into trouble with hospital handballs.

It didn't take long before Cale started doing that thing where he holds the ball out, poised for a handball, telegraphing it to all and sundry, trying to make the defender commit. It's not the only bad habit he learned.

Problem is that Cale did it even worse than Cam, and often just sold himself into trouble.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

I can't believe people still think this is the case.

Dunn does not 'always have a crack' - he squibs contests at a similar rate to Watts. He doesn't have 'aggro', he has misdirected stupidity. He's not a good 'niggler', he's actually a bad one since he continually gives free kicks away.

Agree with this.

In general, I don't think this thread is appropriately timed, as we have players performing at a lower standard to Dunn right now.

But the fact that Dunn is in our team at the moment is an indication of how many players short we are.

Dunn plays on the third/fourth/fifth forward, usually with a height advantage. That's why his marking statistics look decent. His kicking, though long, is generally crap (kicks it too high and often to a poor choice), which is a weakness given he's playing HBF and thus should be providing rebound.

Agree. The fact that Dunn has survived on our list for so long is symptomatic of the lack of quality on our list and the fact that in most cases there have been worse players than Dunn cut. He has been Houdini like to survive the cut but shows little magic on the ground. Nine years on the list and he still manages to consistently underwhelm.

[McQueen 17,864]

For as long as he continues to give away pathetic free kicks for jumper punching players behind play, instead of actually going hard at the footy, I will continue to want him out of the team.

His attitude to 'hard nosed footy' is terrible.

I will credit him for improving his defensive work, but he is a dumb footballer and in a good team he won't get a game.

Why is it you refer to 'jumper punching' as weak? I can't remember the last time he gave away a free for this.

Dunn provides a bit of niggle and attempts to put the opposition off and gets chastised by the clubs supporters for it.

FM!

[DeeSpencer 25,717]

Why is it you refer to 'jumper punching' as weak? I can't remember the last time he gave away a free for this.

Dunn provides a bit of niggle and attempts to put the opposition off and gets chastised by the clubs supporters for it.

FM!

You didn't watch the game on Saturday where he gave away a goal for it.

His niggle never puts the opposition off, it's just for his own inflated ego and is crap. He shouldn't waste energy and time when he clearly needs it to actually play football.

[McQueen 17,864]

You didn't watch the game on Saturday where he gave away a goal for it.

His niggle never puts the opposition off, it's just for his own inflated ego and is crap. He shouldn't waste energy and time when he clearly needs it to actually play football.

I stopped watching weeks ago, master.

Still, I believe we need that sort of character in the team. Preferably someone more skilled.

[stevethemanjordan 6,952]

I'm with Jaded. He acts tough but he is a very weak player. Niggling is fine if you are also a decent player. Dunn isn't that.

He's an extremely dumb, one dimensional player who enjoys an ego kick by playing niggling games with opposition players.

He has absolutely zero leadership qualities and no sense of what it means to play for the team.

As others have said, I am still surprised he is on the list. Another player who was a bad draft choice and all he cares about is the fact that he's an 'AFL' player.

Many of our players are immature young men who are just happy to be high profile human beings playing football. It's like a little boys club. No drive to be the best. No desire or heart. Just cruising through life as an AFL footballer.

Huge problem at our club.

The more attitudes like Viney, Hogan, Dawes and Jones, the more competitive we become.

I can't wait until he goes. I care about this club too much.

[DeeSpencer 25,717]

I stopped watching weeks ago, master.

Still, I believe we need that sort of character in the team. Preferably someone more skilled.

I've got no problem with someone acting tough but it will only impress me if they actually are tough. I'd rather a sniper like Campbell Brown because at least when its his turn to go you know he will. Same can't be said for Dunn. So in the mean time he should focus on actually playing football.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

I've got no problem with someone acting tough but it will only impress me if they actually are tough. I'd rather a sniper like Campbell Brown because at least when its his turn to go you know he will. Same can't be said for Dunn. So in the mean time he should focus on actually playing football.

On that basis I would not call Brown a sniper. Dunn is a faux tough guy that play acts the stuff but has never gone the hard knock when he has too.

[PJ_12345 1,098]

I've got no problem with someone acting tough but it will only impress me if they actually are tough. I'd rather a sniper like Campbell Brown because at least when its his turn to go you know he will. Same can't be said for Dunn. So in the mean time he should focus on actually playing football.

Do you think Brown's time is up? Should he retire?

Edited August 26, 2013 by PJ_12345

[titan_uranus 25,020]

I'm with Jaded. He acts tough but he is a very weak player. Niggling is fine if you are also a decent player. Dunn isn't that.

He's an extremely dumb, one dimensional player who enjoys an ego kick by playing niggling games with opposition players.

He has absolutely zero leadership qualities and no sense of what it means to play for the team.

As others have said, I am still surprised he is on the list. Another player who was a bad draft choice and all he cares about is the fact that he's an 'AFL' player.

Agreed.

His lack of leadership qualities is startling, exacerbated by his ridiculous habit of always telling the better defenders what to do and where to run, pointing mindlessly at opposition players or space, whilst himself either ambling around, or doing his job of manning up the fourth-best forward who is shorter than he is.

[Fat Tony 5,231]

Agreed.

His lack of leadership qualities is startling, exacerbated by his ridiculous habit of always telling the better defenders what to do and where to run, pointing mindlessly at opposition players or space, whilst himself either ambling around, or doing his job of manning up the fourth-best forward who is shorter than he is.

I would love to see your reaction if Demonland put Dunn on the banner.

[autocol 448]

Dunn defending one on one, under a high ball or rebounding out of defence are all equally terrifying.

You realise that Dunn is the single most effective one-on-one contest winner in the league? (data accurate at round 18).

Like most of our players, you put him in a better team and he'd look a lot better. It's hard to kick precisely to a free player when no-one is running so there are no free players to kick to.

The stats say Dunn is a good footballer, and I believe them.

[stevethemanjordan 6,952]

You realise that Dunn is the single most effective one-on-one contest winner in the league? (data accurate at round 18).

Like most of our players, you put him in a better team and he'd look a lot better. It's hard to kick precisely to a free player when no-one is running so there are no free players to kick to.

The stats say Dunn is a good footballer, and I believe them.

Isolating one stat is the worst thing you could do to try and make a point and that stat definitely doesn't mean that Dunn is a good footballer. Without even glancing at this pointless stat, people have already said his strength in one-on-one contests is the only thing he's got going.

How about looking at what the stats don't say or show? They're the one's that speak the loudest.

[DeeSpencer 25,717]

You realise that Dunn is the single most effective one-on-one contest winner in the league? (data accurate at round 18).

Like most of our players, you put him in a better team and he'd look a lot better. It's hard to kick precisely to a free player when no-one is running so there are no free players to kick to.

The stats say Dunn is a good footballer, and I believe them.

Then the stats have fooled you.

He's good in a one on one because he's often playing on small forwards who he has a height advantage on or the worst talls when Frawley/McDonald etc take the good ones. Not to mention he gets burnt on the lead or lost in traffic which doesn't go against him for that stat.

Edited August 26, 2013 by the master

[Jaded No More 68,958]

Why is it you refer to 'jumper punching' as weak? I can't remember the last time he gave away a free for this.

Dunn provides a bit of niggle and attempts to put the opposition off and gets chastised by the clubs supporters for it.

FM!

Maybe if you continued to watch games, rather than make general assumptions, you'd know what I was talking about.

He gave away a free in the goal square when the game was still very much in the balance. It was a weak free, yes, but the need to gut punch a player behind play is gutless.

True tough players don't do it. Jones gets bashed and smashed every week by a tagger, often illegally, and doesn't resort to pathetic jumper punches.

The only niggle Dunn provides is the sort of niggle that costs the team, nobody in the AFL would fear him as an opponent.

[McQueen 17,864]

Maybe if you continued to watch games, rather than make general assumptions, you'd know what I was talking about.

Point taken, Jaded.

It has been therapeutic though.

[Bobby McKenzie 2,385]

He's done dumb things for years. As long as we have pea hearted, no-skilled players like him on the list we'll go nowhere, no matter who is the coach.

He may do dumb things at times but he's hardly pea hearted.

[71 Molloy 266]

He may do dumb things at times but he's hardly pea hearted.

No afl player is pea hearted. But when it is his turn he stops short. The Frank costanza of the AFL. Edited August 26, 2013 by 71 Molloy

[titan_uranus 25,020]

No afl player is pea hearted. But when it is his turn he stops short. The George costanza of the AFL.

Stopping short was Frank's move!

[71 Molloy 266]

Stopping short was Frank's move!

Woops. Edit for accuracy.

[autocol 448]

Isolating one stat is the worst thing you could do to try and make a point and that stat definitely doesn't mean that Dunn is a good footballer. Without even glancing at this pointless stat, people have already said his strength in one-on-one contests is the only thing he's got going.

How about looking at what the stats don't say or show? They're the one's that speak the loudest.

A pointless stat? The statistic that says that if two players are in a one-on-one contest, no player in the LEAGUE is more likely to win the contest than Lynden Dunn, you're calling that a pointless statistic in a thread about LYNDEN DUNN? Are you for real?

Granted, Jordie Mackenzie is not going to beat Dunn in such a statistic because he's the poor sod that has to play on Gary Ablett or Jobe Watson every week which makes such things a bit unfair (though I do recall a certain L. Dunn completely nullifying Chris Judd some weeks back), but all the same, Dunn wins more one on one contests than any other player in the league. Fact.

Then the stats have fooled you.

He's good in a one on one because he's often playing on small forwards who he has a height advantage on or the worst talls when Frawley/McDonald etc take the good ones. Not to mention he gets burnt on the lead or lost in traffic which doesn't go against him for that stat.

The statistics haven't fooled me at all, I just don't fall for the fallacious method of using analytical thinking to justify intuitive ideas (google Daniel Kahneman's work if you're interested in the psychology of analytical thinking).

You're all saying that Dunn should be delisted, because he's 'below AFL standard'. We're the worst team in the league, last time I checked. That means that we probably have the greatest number of players on the field who are 'below AFL standard'. Every other team is better than us (even GWS, these days), therefore any other random player on any other team is more likely than any random player on our team to be 'of AFL standard'. Not only that, any random player on our team is likely to be surrounded by more players 'below AFL standard' than the random player of the opposing team.

Thus, statistically speaking, Dunn is more likely to be up against a player of AFL standard who is surrounded by others of AFL standard, and more likely to be surrounded himself by players below AFL standard, and still leads the league in winning one-on-one contests, and I'm the one who doesn't understand statistics?

Put Lynden Dunn into the Hawthorn back six and you'd all be lauding him as Josh Gibson reborn, but with a better kick.