Just now, Buzzy said:

The key part where this theory breaks down is how poorly O Mac (his main competition) is playing.  But maybe that's the role he was brought in to do. 

He's not playing poorly, though.  He's had a few rough patches but he was much better on the weekend. 

3 minutes ago, Wiseblood said:

He's not playing poorly, though.  He's had a few rough patches but he was much better on the weekend. 

Maybe OMac wants to learn...

Long time lurker, very infrequent poster.

Anyway, I spoke to Dunny last week and really enjoyed his honesty about being demoted and struggling with the zone defence, but also his determination to force his way back into the team and play finals with the Dees: 

http://www.espn.com.au/afl/story/_/id/17044795/melbourne-defender-lynden-dunn-frustrated-optimistic-playing-finals

Cheers.

6 minutes ago, The Dr said:

Long time lurker, very infrequent poster.

Anyway, I spoke to Dunny last week and really enjoyed his honesty about being demoted and struggling with the zone defence, but also his determination to force his way back into the team and play finals with the Dees: 

http://www.espn.com.au/afl/story/_/id/17044795/melbourne-defender-lynden-dunn-frustrated-optimistic-playing-finals

Cheers.

Thanks for sharing.

Might be time to tell the folks down at ESPN that the club has had a new logo for several months now.

Those comments from Dunn re: struggling to adapt seem to confirm what others thought: his move forward and subsequent omission after the last Saints game were due to a failure to play his role.

I hope he works it out - it can only be good for the team if he's able to put genuine pressure on the young defenders currently holding fort, and force his way back in. He's got time, the skill, and hopefully the will. Good luck.

On 04/06/2016 at 8:13 AM, Lucifer's Hero said:

I had a look at the Club's Annual 'Heartbeat' booklet and for Dunn, Roos said:

"He showed last year - and what we're looking for again - is consistency.  He's showed he can play some really good footy as he did against Tom Hawkings.  It's really now about him grasping what we want him to do with regards the game plan and making simple decisions.  When he does that, he's a very good player.

Can Roos be any clearer on what Dunn has to do to get a game!?

So while his form may look good in the VFL, the big questions are:

- Is he consistent (in the AFL games he has played this year)?

- Does he grasp the game plan?

- Is he making the simple decsions?

- Can he play 'good footy' when there is no 'power forward', like Hawkins, to match up against?

Obviously the coaches think 'No' to all or most of those questions.  What more do people want to know?

Edit:  The booklet was issued during the pre season, so Dunn has known for a long time what he needs to do.

I posted that nearly 7 weeks ago so its been fairly plain for a long time the lay of the land for Dunn. 

Nonetheless, his honesty accepting why he was dropped after the Saints game is refreshing and admirable. Thanks for posting the article 'The Dr'.

Its sad it has taken Dunn so long (nearly 3 years of Roos) to realise the coaches were serious about playing their way, not his way.  I hope Dunn can come back in and earn another contract.  But he has a history of good seasons in the last year of his past 2 or 3 contracts.  Then falls away once signed up. 

It seems he now 'gets it' regarding how he is expected to play.  Kudos to him for wanting to be part of the future.  The ball is in his court.

Edited July 15, 20168 yr by Lucifer's Hero

17 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

I posted that nearly 7 weeks ago so its been fairly plain for a long time the lay of the land for Dunn. 

Nonetheless, his honesty accepting why he was dropped after the Saints game is refreshing and admirable. Thanks for posting the article 'The Dr'.

Its sad it has taken Dunn so long (nearly 3 years of Roos) to realise the coaches were serious about playing their way, not his way.  I hope Dunn can come back in and earn another contract.  But he has a history of good seasons in the last year of his past 2 or 3 contracts.  Then falls away once signed up. 

It seems he now 'gets it' regarding how he is expected to play.  Kudos to him for wanting to be part of the future.  The ball is in his court.

At least he may well play in a Casey Premiership!

I love Dunny and the article just shows what a good fellow he is.  Hope he can get back into the team

On 6/6/2016 at 1:26 PM, Sir Why You Little said:

Maybe OMac wants to learn...

The critcism as I have seen it has always been about whether he should be learning at Casey or the senior team where he has been outmuscled and outplayed numerous times or simply fumbled etc......

On 6/4/2016 at 8:13 AM, Lucifer's Hero said:

I had a look at the Club's Annual 'Heartbeat' booklet and for Dunn, Roos said:

"He showed last year - and what we're looking for again - is consistency.  He's showed he can play some really good footy as he did against Tom Hawkings.  It's really now about him grasping what we want him to do with regards the game plan and making simple decisions.  When he does that, he's a very good player.

Can Roos be any clearer on what Dunn has to do to get a game!?

- Is he making the simple decsions?.

Is that same criteria being applied to TMac?

2 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

The critcism as I have seen it has always been about whether he should be learning at Casey or the senior team where he has been outmuscled and outplayed numerous times or simply fumbled etc......

Yes. But how much does he learn at Casey compared to learning at the top?

it's obviously what the coaches are banking on

On 26 April 2016 at 4:47 PM, Moonshadow said:

Important to our structure at the moment, but like many on our backline over the last couple of years, prone to brain fades and panic. Plays the percentages well most of the time, then turns over with a poor kick under no pressure or even known to do the double fisted punch 'spoil' whilst uncontested.

How old is he and who's next in line to join TMac as a KPD long term? Hurley?

Moon this topic is about Dunn, not Frost or Omac

14 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Yes. But how much does he learn at Casey compared to learning at the top?

it's obviously what the coaches are banking on

The way I see it, our defenders appear to learning how to defend again from scratch. Based on Dunn's comments, it basically renders all past experience obsolete and makes all defenders equal.

If that's true; then reason OMac is in the side is because he is picking it up and applying it faster than Dunn (or Garland). Ideally you'd prefer your senior, more physically developed defenders playing while your young ones learn at Casey, but at present, because of the learning curve, OMac is the better defender in the side, so gets picked.

He has clearly bulked up since last season though why would Roos and co would want him too is anyone's guess as not much of a need for full blown gorillas if playing the diamond defence.

Quite shocked with how much he put on but out of all fringe players u would think he would be the one to make it as Dunns whole makeup/game  is fake so he should have been the easiest to buy in/change style.

Also as roos has noted there isn't much room in modern game for paint melting sprays and aswell as NOT following the game plan i suspect dunn doesn't endear himself to junior teammates screaming rubbish at them?

Thoughts ?

Dunn has the disadvantage of being 'only' 192 cm. That's not really tall enough for a key position defender. If he can't be a key position defender, what's his position going to be? In other words, I don't think he's competing for a position in the backline with either of the McDonald's or Frost. Rather, he's competing with Wagner, Hunt, Lumumba, Garland and White.

And if he can't find a spot in the backline, I'm not sure there's anywhere else for him.

14 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Dunn has the disadvantage of being 'only' 192 cm. That's not really tall enough for a key position defender. If he can't be a key position defender, what's his position going to be? In other words, I don't think he's competing for a position in the backline with either of the McDonald's or Frost. Rather, he's competing with Wagner, Hunt, Lumumba, Garland and White.

And if he can't find a spot in the backline, I'm not sure there's anywhere else for him.

Play him fwd? He is better than Dawes and has kicked 5 goals in a game before....

7 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

Play him fwd? He is better than Dawes and has kicked 5 goals in a game before....

He won't be any taller in the forward line, so he's not going to be a KPF, either. What position would he play? I honestly don't know what his best position is any more. 

2 hours ago, The Dr said:

Long time lurker, very infrequent poster.

Anyway, I spoke to Dunny last week and really enjoyed his honesty about being demoted and struggling with the zone defence, but also his determination to force his way back into the team and play finals with the Dees: 

http://www.espn.com.au/afl/story/_/id/17044795/melbourne-defender-lynden-dunn-frustrated-optimistic-playing-finals

Cheers.

Yes, thanks Doc.

Its also IMO the reason Lamumba is missing in action, since the last Aints game.  In the last, or 3rd Qtr, he dropped off his man near the back pocket to run at the ball carrier near the HBF, leaving a 3on1 close to goal. Rawlings was not happy Jan, a shake of the head at Roos said it all, really.  Another who struggles with the zone defence.

 

Now a discussion on the rotations caused zone defences & the effects it is having on players careers, young & old, & on clubs in rebuilds abilities to be competative in each game is truly needed.  It is ruining the Aussie rules game.

Not to mention TV ratings & game attendances.

16 minutes ago, Nasher said:

The way I see it, our defenders appear to learning how to defend again from scratch. Based on Dunn's comments, it basically renders all past experience obsolete and makes all defenders equal.

If that's true; then reason OMac is in the side is because he is picking it up and applying it faster than Dunn (or Garland). Ideally you'd prefer your senior, more physically developed defenders playing while your young ones learn at Casey, but at present, because of the learning curve, OMac is the better defender in the side, so gets picked.

Omac might be picking up part of what the FD are wanting the defence to do better than say Dunn or Frost eg, zoning a little better with a forward press on and looking to hit short targets inside 50 if the ball gets turned over coming out of our forward 50, making the transistion a little quicker from defending deeper in our back half to run and carry/spread off half back.

Oscar might also be trying harder to hit up short targets when running from HB. Not sure Dunn is capable of doing the same and seems to kick down the line a la old Melb style more often. The problem here though is that I doubt Omac is hitting many of those attempted short passes. Which may well leave us in a more precarious position on the turnover than if it were kicked longer down the line (Dunn/Garland style?). In other words the idea would be great if we had players who can finish off this transitional run by finding short targets more regularly or kicking to favoured sides to a one on one. Wags & Hunt seem to more adept at this finish or becoming so at a faster rate at this point. Haven't seen significant progress yet in Frost or Omac.

Also not sure Omac is any better and may well be worse , at the one on one or chop out stuff when ball's coming in long from mid field. Could be a season or two behind being capable Here (physically) vs Dunn for an entire match. Might look good over a quarter or two (roughly) here, before falling away and getting opened up later in a game.

I would still rather see Omac and Frost develop their size, tank and one on one experience, and importantly short passing skills/mistakes/turnovers at Casey before asking too much of them for four quarters at AFL level whilst demanding more from the likes of Dunn on the zone/Transistion/short passing stuff also.

White is probably a reasonable example of someone who has done a bit more of an apprenticeship here and come in a little more prepared for the rigours of AFL, although one decent recent game isn't much to go on. Will be interesting to see how he copes over the next few weeks.

49 minutes ago, thesleepinggiant said:

He has clearly bulked up since last season though why would Roos and co would want him too is anyone's guess as not much of a need for full blown gorillas if playing the diamond defence.

Quite shocked with how much he put on but out of all fringe players u would think he would be the one to make it as Dunns whole makeup/game  is fake so he should have been the easiest to buy in/change style.

Also as roos has noted there isn't much room in modern game for paint melting sprays and aswell as NOT following the game plan i suspect dunn doesn't endear himself to junior teammates screaming rubbish at them?

Thoughts ?

You missed the part where he said he has lost weight?

On 05/06/2016 at 2:10 PM, jumbo returns said:

Just thought I'd bump this up.

This morning, on Gameday, Gawny said that the biggest spray he's every heard was from Roosy, after Dunny bombed a torp from a kick in - might have been tongue in cheek, but it seems that Dunn is not doing what he's asked to do...

"Unfortunately Lynden forgot to let us know he was going to torp it into the middle"

2 hours ago, P-man said:

Thanks for sharing.

Might be time to tell the folks down at ESPN that the club has had a new logo for several months now.

Tell The Age while you are at it as well.

1 hour ago, Biffen said:

"Unfortunately Lynden forgot to let us know he was going to torp it into the middle"

May have paid a severe price for that Biff. The capacity for long memories when it comes to non-compliance knows no bounds!

6 hours ago, Rusty Nails said:

Moon this topic is about Dunn, not Frost or Omac

Look at the date of my post before you reply mate. I was talking about Dunn.

he's got to get an opportunity first before he can make the side.

 

the opportunity is not there at the moment.