7 minutes ago, Mach5 said:

Would Dunstable want to come to us?

Seems he wants to play.

This is my question as well.

Wouldn't he be better off at Gold Coast getting solid game time and consistent run of games?

 

1 hour ago, NeveroddoreveN said:

26 is the new 35?

26 is young, would fit our list demographics perfectly.....We should get rid of Salem/Petracca/Oliver/Brayshaw, they are all approaching the dreaded 26.   May, Lever,Gawn should be delisted immediately, way too old by your reckoning :P

The difference is they are senior players. Dunston would be playing in the reserves. I stand by the youth policy.

Not a bad back up player if you look at his form during the year. 
The kids didn’t play this year because of Covid, so it is much harder to draft them

Dunston is 26. Ready to go day 1

4 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

This is my question as well.

Wouldn't he be better off at Gold Coast getting solid game time and consistent run of games?

 

Correct me if I'm wrong DD, but AFL players priorities include: play with mates, play in a premiership and to get paid well.

If he wants to play for a premiership contender he won't go near GCS. If he wants the cash he may also struggle there, they have a very tight cap.

After his comments on the Saints' culture, I reckon he might have a point to prove. I think in the right environment (ie. MFC) he might become a very handy addition.

Would be interesting to hear of Richo's thoughts

First Cerra and now targeting Dunstan. Certainly looks like the club would like to add another midfielder. Our depth has taken a little hit with Jones and VDB gone. They didn't play much but we had a blessed run with injury and would be lucky to get year like that again.

Edited October 4, 20213 yr by Nascent

21 minutes ago, Stiff Arm said:

Correct me if I'm wrong DD, but AFL players priorities include: play with mates, play in a premiership and to get paid well.

If he wants to play for a premiership contender he won't go near GCS. If he wants the cash he may also struggle there, they have a very tight cap.

After his comments on the Saints' culture, I reckon he might have a point to prove. I think in the right environment (ie. MFC) he might become a very handy addition.

Would be interesting to hear of Richo's thoughts

The number 1 priority for most players is to actually play regularly so they can forge a career - both for the money but also for the games played. 

Fringe players leave good sides for that exact reason.

Unless we promise him a certain role which would be very unlikely, or no one out there can sell him a bigger role I'd expect Dunstan to go to a club that gives him opportunity. Even if it's a one year deal he's a much better chance of having an extended career if he can play 15-20 games next year rather than 5-10 from mostly outside the best 22 at Melbourne. 

1 hour ago, TRIGON said:

Interesting @NeveroddoreveN, here are the AFL Coaches Votes over the same rounds:

R11...9 Votes

R13...0 Votes

R15...10 Votes

R16...5 Votes

R17...7 Votes

Solid block of form.

Just saw on trade week they put up his stats this season compared to Ollie Wines on an average basis.....they compared really well. Saints are mad to get rid of him!

48 minutes ago, Mach5 said:

Would Dunstable want to come to us?

Seems he wants to play.

I see Essendon as his best fit in terms of their needs and his skills.

If his age hadn’t been mentioned I certainly wouldn’t have guessed he was 26, for some reason just feels like he has been around longer. 
 

Anyway I am happy for him to join us as depth but I would be a bit disappointed if he was to go straight past Jordan and Sparrow. It feels like another club would be a better fit to be perfectly honest. 

They recruit Kent and get rid of Dunstan. No wonder they don't win premierships.

Dumped St Kilda player Luke Dunstan is an 'elite midfielder', says ex-assistant coach Aaron Hamill

How many experienced players do we need in the reserves we already have Melksham, M.Brown and Daw that's enough.

7 minutes ago, WERRIDEE said:

How many experienced players do we need in the reserves we already have Melksham, M.Brown and Daw that's enough.

I think we could do with a decent backup midfielder Werridee. Jones and vandenberg are gone. Outside of our grand final team all we have is Baker, DeClase and Rosman as midfield depth. If we get a few injuries Dunstan would be more than handy

Can't see him wanting to come to the Dees as a backup. Surely he wants to play. I really rate Ratten as a coach so there must be something with Dunstan which might not be well known outside the inner circle at the Saints.

As far as the Dees needing/wanting him: there are so many ahead of him - Trac, Oliver, Viney, Sparrow, Harmes, Jordon. If injury hits, Brayshaw - and possibly others. I would prefer to draft a mature age (22-24) or intentionally develop a younger player already on our list who has yet to play at AFL level like Laurie, Rosman or even DeClase. 

Like it that we have shown some interest.

I don't understand the Saints wanting him gone. Sure he is not as quick or explosive as some but he knows how to extract the pill, tackle and would be excellent backup if Oliver or Viney were injured.

As others have mentioned, we will never have such an injury free year as 2021. If we can get Dunstan cheap then this is good business.

Bring it on!

Something on here people are missing. We have to still have competition for spots on our list, if and when a midfielder gets injured then we needs players ready to step in, if we want to stay Top 4. 
It is time to change the mindset a little. Players will want to come to Melbourne now, but they have to earn their spot. 
Whorethorn did it for years, players would rack up 100 games in the reserves before playing Seniors, but they were tough and ready to go

if Aaron Hammil rates Dunstan as an elite Midfielder, we should look at him very closely 

I like the idea of getting Dunstan as a DFA.  Based on his mid-season run of form (as mentioned by @NeveroddoreveNand @TRIGON) he's pretty hard to go past given the DFA price tag, and I'd hazard a guess that he would take up roughly the same 'cap space' as Jonesy. 

As with a few others, I do have a niggling worry about why the Saints have cut him, but I'm prepared bank on our coaches, leaders and culture to get the best out of him.

2 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

This is my question as well.

Wouldn't he be better off at Gold Coast getting solid game time and consistent run of games?

 

Yeah but the Joining of a PREMIERSHIP outfit has so much more alure than a rapidly desolving GCS🤩

If Hamill really thought he was an elite midfielder he wouldn’t be saying it publicly, he’d be pleading with Carlton to sign him.

I said earlier I can see the appeal. I’ve changed my mind, the bloke is Dom Tyson 2.0, what’s the use in a slow mid with shoddy kicking? 

Does anyone know the real reason why he was delisted by St Kilda? injury, work rate, attitude??

I think its a smart move, Dunstan gives us a big body, AFL ready fringe mid who will keep a lot of pressure on the AFL side, has the potential to be a really strong player for us, and offsets the likely loss of Vanders, Melksham and other big body depth players we look like losing. 

the question is would he like to be player 23-26 for us, or a walk up start at a lesser side. 

2 minutes ago, Dwight Schrute said:

I think its a smart move, Dunstan gives us a big body, AFL ready fringe mid who will keep a lot of pressure on the AFL side, has the potential to be a really strong player for us, and offsets the likely loss of Vanders, Melksham and other big body depth players we look like losing. 

the question is would he like to be player 23-26 for us, or a walk up start at a lesser side. 

He'd be looking at our list, in particular the delisted players and licking his lips at the possibility that we now have reduced midfield depth, and as a result, a mature player now has a greater chance of playing a role with a flag contender.

1 hour ago, 2021 Premiers said:

I think we could do with a decent backup midfielder Werridee. Jones and vandenberg are gone. Outside of our grand final team all we have is Baker, DeClase and Rosman as midfield depth. If we get a few injuries Dunstan would be more than handy

We have Jordon and Melksham can play through the midfield. I'd prefer to see a depth spot used on a kid like Woewodin instead of a slow hack like Dunstan.

I'm shocked that the Saints would be moving him on; seems to blitz it for them every time I tune in.
I have heard their supporters being highly critical of his disposal, but would seem to be a decent fit for a developing team like the Kangaroos or GCS.

If he was interested coming to us, I don't see him in the best 22, but he would be a decent upgrade on our 2021 midfield depth (AVB and Jones).  This'll be important if our current blessed run with injuries doesn't last forever...

 

Just now, faultydet said:

He'd be looking at our list, in particular the delisted players and licking his lips at the possibility that we now have reduced midfield depth, and as a result, a mature player now has a greater chance of playing a role with a flag contender.

100% if Jack Viney goes down (he's had a few injuries in recent years) Dunstan is just about the perfect ready made replacement. 

during our lul this year i did think we missed Vineys hardness around the ball. as tough as Petracca and Oliver are, they're better with Viney in there.

I also think it's extremely healthy to have extreme pressure on the AFL side to hold their spot. especially in a team like ours, where players will be keen to get in and stay in to grab a medallion