2013 Player Review - # 14 Lynden Dunn

[Demonland 66,956]

A hamstring injury interrupted the defender's start, but he bounced back to play every match from round six. Dunn was one of Melbourne's best players in the second half of the season. It was his highest finish in the club's best and fairest.

Games MFC 2013 18 Career Total 117

Goals MFC 2013 4 Career Total 91

Games CSFC 2013 1 Goals CSFC 2013 2

Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 270 votes

[Biffen 12,563]

If we can make a half decent defender out of him one day I will be happy.

Needs to replace the faux tough guy image with either real toughness or just move on.

[Bring-Back-Powell 13,641]

Cops a heap on this website, some warranted.

But at the end of the day he's had a couple of top best and fairest placings in a row and has given quite good service down back.

Be interesting if Roos has Dunn in his best 22.

[deanox 8,998]

Wad one of our most consistent all year, and played his role. Had two obvious flaws: takes to long to make decisions and stuffs up the occassional short pass either through skill error or flat or brain fade but otherwise can be a lovely kick.

Hopefully with a bit of Roos induced confidence in both Dunn and the team these two mistakes can be addressed because he defended well.

He does a lot of things right and ironing out the crap may allow him to hold down a spot and allow us to focus recruiting on other areas.

[Whispering_Jack 28,118]

Wad one of our most consistent all year, and played his role. Had two obvious flaws: takes to long to make decisions and stuffs up the occassional short pass either through skill error or flat or brain fade but otherwise can be a lovely kick.

Hopefully with a bit of Roos induced confidence in both Dunn and the team these two mistakes can be addressed because he defended well.

He does a lot of things right and ironing out the crap may allow him to hold down a spot and allow us to focus recruiting on other areas.

I still think he's played some of his best football up forward but it will be interesting where Roos sees him playing.

[Weedster 174]

I still think he's played some of his best football up forward but it will be interesting where Roos sees him playing.

I agree. One of the better kicks for goal

[beelzebub 22,724]

I honestly dont know how to come at an evaluation of Dunny. Heres a player who many a coach will like as he'll be given a job and essentially does it and some days really well. All the whiles he has annoying habits of seemingly not understanding the next thing to do and turning it over or apparently acting out childhood fantasies at being some 'tough guy" when he not just bad at it he's hilarious !!

Its in the washup, does his up outweigh his dumb ? marginally i think. As others develop he'll be easily pushed aside.

An interim player at best me thinks

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Had MFC been a remotely competitive side over the past 7 seasons, then players like Dunn would have discarded.

Dunns resilience on the MFC list is testimony to the raft of poor recruiting and development choices that have resulted in other NQRs being jettisoned before Dunn.

2014 represents his 10th year on the list and he is yet to carve out a role in the side that is his.

Has a limited grab bag of skills that coupled with the faux tough guy antics misleads people to see him as a better player than he is.

Can't see him as a regular if MFC has visions of moving up the ladder.

[deanox 8,998]

Its in the washup, does his up outweigh his dumb ? marginally i think. As others develop he'll be easily pushed aside.

An interim player at best me thinks

I tend to agree, I think that Dunn is a much more complete and capable player than many on our list however his flaws are major and cause him to be considered an average interim only. With marginal improvement it may be possible that Dunn can start taking the first option and eradicate the lazy short kick across goals which causes so much grief. If Roos can inspire this marginal improvement, Dunn is suddenly a much better player and may last a bit longer yet.

Also re playing up forward, I don't think he is a strong enough mark to do this permanently but short stints rotating on a flank with Watts or Howe maybe. I can't see him fitting in up forward with our last despite kicking for goal being arguably his greatest strength.

[FarNorthernD 5,848]

Sometimes he does such dumb things on the field that no 100 game player should do.

5 minutes later he will partially redeem himself with some good play and look like he belongs out there

Honestly I don't know what to make of him

If he can eliminate the bad, he may become a good, average footballer

[boydie 653]

Don't rate the guy, never have, never will.

In that being said there was no one else demanding his place in the side and he was far from our worst.

I'd still trade him for a box of pizza shapes though.

[monoccular 16,654]

I guess Roos will have formed an opinion by now on whether he sees a rôle for him in the team going forward - he is and has been a bit of an enigma, but could prove to be a useful 'utility' or even a sub (he can, at his best, fill in many different rôles.) Can Roos get the best out of him consistently, though even his best isn't a star, but every team needs depth? Make him focus?

Edited September 26, 2013 by monoccular

[rollinson 65 181]

My job is 7 days and 7 nights a week, so I don't often post apart from our forum footy games...

But so many of the things that have been said on here are so unfair...

This bloke is my favourite player because he has been a team player since his junior footy days...

He is a coach's dream...

I am betting Paul Roos will see what you blokes have missed...

Personal abuse would follow, but I don't want to blemish my clean sheet..

So, I agree to disagree with all the criticism...

Regards to all...

Rollo

[Young Dee 1,303]

Probably a bit similar to a Garland of 1-2 years ago.

I wonder if he could improve like Garland by concentrating on his mental game/approach.

Not a bad player to have but would rather him be a depth player and could very well become one as he is a 4th tall behind Frawley, Garland and McDonald.

I see him coming in if we are playing a tall team or if one of those 3 is injured.

Probably something like this:

Garland Frawley Strauss (or Dunn or Grimes)

Clisby McDonald Terlich

Edited September 28, 2013 by Young Dee

[Demoneyes 562]

Dunn and dusted!

[Robbie57 1,996]

Doubt it.

[spirit of norm smith 13,620]

Better than what the words on this post say. Dunn cares about winning & losing, competes, good long kick, not sideways like many others in the back half. Sure has a brain fade or two but in a better outfit, he can be handy. Not top 10 sure.