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Why Luke Dunstan came to Melbourne

george_on_the_outer
in Melbourne Demons

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I honestly thought we would have seen Dunstan atleast given an opportunity during the practice games. Was a tad surprised that he wasn't named emergency at least.

Which then makes me think that maybe he's had to do like further extra training (Think Ben Brown's mini pre season last year) due to getting a bit of culture shock with the training standards. I know this was one thing Ben Brown spoke about last year getting a rude awakening with just how hard we trained and perhaps wasn't up to the required standard. 

 

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    22 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

    I honestly thought we would have seen Dunstan atleast given an opportunity during the practice games. Was a tad surprised that he wasn't named emergency at least.

    Which then makes me think that maybe he's had to do like further extra training (Think Ben Brown's mini pre season last year) due to getting a bit of culture shock with the training standards. I know this was one thing Ben Brown spoke about last year getting a rude awakening with just how hard we trained and perhaps wasn't up to the required standard. 

     

    I think you are right 

    Burgess set a new standard for training that is being adhered to from what i have been told. 
    Darren set us up very nicely before he left 

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    44 minutes ago, Its Time for Back to Back said:

    I watched it last night for the first time. His agent Robbie D'Orazio (Probably not correct) made it pretty clear he understood he was going to us to be a backup if we get injuries. As you say we recognised we'd had a very good run in 2021 and both the backup mids VDB and Jones are gone. Obviously figure it's too good to be true to have another season with such good luck on the injury front. Also had Tim Lamb, our List Manager on the phone saying we don't have any money but there would be incentives if he plays. So in that context a brilliant cheap pick up for that purpose and who knows what else he might be able to do. There was also a phone conversation with Goody asking him how his endurance is and he said it had improved a lot but he hadn't been given an opportunity to play as an outside mid. Said he was best suited as an inside mid and his best endurance was repeat burst power sprints. So a bit of a hint by him that he wouldn't mind being tried on a wing. Maybe if his fitness is good enough he could play Gus's defensive wing role and free up Gus to go into the guts if we have injuries. 

    Goodwin also stated he's happy to play mids all over the ground.

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    Interested to see how he goes in this evening's VFL practice match at Waverley.

    Was watching the qualiying final against Brisbane last night and thought that Sparrow was having a quiet game until the last quarter when both he and Rivers really impacted the game.

    Tough midfield to break into

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    Putting together the 22 for wednesday, it is a bloody good team.  but when you look at the depth after that, it isn't big for mature midfielders.  Luke could be very important and play 15+ games or if we lucky with injuries again he might hardly get a run

    he was a good pick up

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    • 10 months later...

    So…… what for Dunstan in season 2023?

    I’m intrigued as to what he personally must be thinking. Surely he’d get games with other clubs?

    In my view, his opportunities are drying up by the day given the young talent we’re consistently developing. 

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    5 minutes ago, McQueen said:

    So…… what for Dunstan in season 2023?

    I’m intrigued as to what he personally must be thinking. Surely he’d get games with other clubs?

    In my view, his opportunities are drying up by the day given the young talent we’re consistently developing. 

    I don't know if he'd get a permanent best 22 spot at any club. I actually think he's fairly serviceable but good clubs won't play him - as they have higher quality players, and rebuilding clubs wouldn't play him either as they'd rather get games in a youngster with higher upside

    I believe all parties knew he'd be a depth player here, but the difference is at least here he may find himself in the team at the right time due to injuries or otherwise and play finals, something he wouldn't have the opportunity to do at the Saints or Gold Coast/Essendon who were interested in him 

    Edited by adonski

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    4 minutes ago, adonski said:

    I don't know if he'd get a permanent best 22 spot at any club. I actually think he's fairly serviceable but good clubs won't play him - as they have higher quality players, and rebuilding clubs wouldn't play him either as they'd rather get games in a youngster with higher upside

    I believe all parties knew he'd be a depth player here, but the difference is at least here he may find himself in the team at the right time due to injuries or otherwise and play finals, something he wouldn't have the opportunity to do at the Saints or Gold Coast/Essendon who were interested in him 

    Sounds about right...

    ...and good for him if he can add a few years to his AFL career.

    Good for us, we get a quality person around the club.

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    8 minutes ago, adonski said:

    I don't know if he'd get a permanent best 22 spot at any club. I actually think he's fairly serviceable but good clubs won't play him - as they have higher quality players, and rebuilding clubs wouldn't play him either as they'd rather get games in a youngster with higher upside

    I believe all parties knew he'd be a depth player here, but the difference is at least here he may find himself in the team at the right time due to injuries or otherwise and play finals, something he wouldn't have the opportunity to do at the Saints or Gold Coast/Essendon who were interested in him 

    I considered many of those points you brought up and agree with you. 
    I guess there’s merit in being on an AFL list at it most basic level. Playing in the twos nowadays is pretty different as well. 
    I think we’d have to have a torrid injury toll for him to play. 
     

    Who do you think he would cover? I don’t think there’s any questions about the inside type of player he is but given we have Trac, Oliver, Viney, Gus, Spazz, all ahead of him he’s got some Work to do. 

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    1 hour ago, McQueen said:

    So…… what for Dunstan in season 2023?

    I’m intrigued as to what he personally must be thinking. Surely he’d get games with other clubs?

    In my view, his opportunities are drying up by the day given the young talent we’re consistently developing. 

    Preseason is hard but it pays a lot more than being an apprentice chippy?

    Hunter has moved him down the midfield pecking order by one spot given the spare winger in Harmes/Gus or JJ can compete for an on ball role. Otherwise we haven’t added any other ready to play mids.  Maybe Howes but I get the feeling he’s still a year away.

    He’ll know the game plan and hopefully be given more license to kick the ball if he can do that better. But driving more success at Casey still seems the most likely outcome 

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    Watershed year at the Dee’s for Dunstan? Was a great contributor at Casey and key reason for flag, and can be very proud. I like him as he is an honest footballer but can’t see him playing 1’s unless it is inside mid and both Clarrie and Vines are out/rested. From watching Casey he hasn’t improved his quick disposal like we needed him to. Gets it OK and can/will run both ways.

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    9 minutes ago, Gawndy the Great said:

    He is Dom Tyson V2. 

    In what way?

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    18 minutes ago, Gawndy the Great said:

    He is Dom Tyson V2. 

     

    8 minutes ago, McQueen said:

    In what way?

    His name is a spoonerism. Real name Duke Lunstan.

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    Was overlooked despite very good form like a number of other Casey players. 

    Instead the BT kept playing injured & out of form players which eventually caught up with us & we were punished accordingly.

     

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    1 hour ago, Gawndy the Great said:

    He is Dom Tyson V2. 

    Coincidentally, Tyson managed 11 Brownlow votes in his first season with us, while Dunstan got 11 in his final season with St Kilda.

    Just noticed that in his nine seasons Tyson only played every game once, while Dunstan has NEVER played a full season. Bizarrely, he played between 15 to 19 games in six season in a row.

    Never forget; for a brief moment Dom Tyson was a goal-kicking midfielder in a team which didn't even have a goal-kicking forward.

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    I reckon Dunstan was pretty stiff at times in getting more AFL games.

    There were opportunities there where I felt we needed another big bodied experienced midfielder to come in towards the back end of the year and shoulder the burden off Oliver and Petracca who were getting physically targeted aand heavily tagged. 

    The two finals games were perfect opportunities to bring Dunstan for Sparrow imo. Sydney's experienced and bigger bodies were simply too strong for ours. 

    Then against Brisbane Jarrod Berry put the hard clamps on Oliver and took him out of the game while Petracca was running around on a broken leg, Viney was disappointing and Sparrow was completely overwhelmed and MIA. Someone with bigger body and over 100 games of experience would have been handy to chop out in the midfield.

    I've harped on this before but Sparrow (yes I know coaches rate him highly) was pretty disappointing for me last year. I know he does the defensive stuff well but when we needed someone to stand up to help the likes of Oliver and Petracca, he was no where to be seen. By all reports he's having a strong season so hopefully that'll translate into stronger influences on games.

    On Dunstan, I have no idea where he's at now. Clearly Goody doesn't see fit for him at all and it's now looking like another Brayden Pruess perplexing decision in bringing him in even if it's depth.

    Goody's reluctance to reward VFL form or bring in the required depth when actually needed means the likes of Dunstan will be lucky to play 5 games this year.

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    Luke was the spur of the moment replacement for AVB who was the backup for Viney.  If Viney plays Luke doesn't.

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    42 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

    I reckon Dunstan was pretty stiff at times in getting more AFL games.

    There were opportunities there where I felt we needed another big bodied experienced midfielder to come in towards the back end of the year and shoulder the burden off Oliver and Petracca who were getting physically targeted aand heavily tagged. 

    The two finals games were perfect opportunities to bring Dunstan for Sparrow imo. Sydney's experienced and bigger bodies were simply too strong for ours. 

    Then against Brisbane Jarrod Berry put the hard clamps on Oliver and took him out of the game while Petracca was running around on a broken leg, Viney was disappointing and Sparrow was completely overwhelmed and MIA. Someone with bigger body and over 100 games of experience would have been handy to chop out in the midfield.

    I've harped on this before but Sparrow (yes I know coaches rate him highly) was pretty disappointing for me last year. I know he does the defensive stuff well but when we needed someone to stand up to help the likes of Oliver and Petracca, he was no where to be seen. By all reports he's having a strong season so hopefully that'll translate into stronger influences on games.

    On Dunstan, I have no idea where he's at now. Clearly Goody doesn't see fit for him at all and it's now looking like another Brayden Pruess perplexing decision in bringing him in even if it's depth.

    Goody's reluctance to reward VFL form or bring in the required depth when actually needed means the likes of Dunstan will be lucky to play 5 games this year.

    Some good points there. Perhaps the role could be shared between Dunstan and Sparrow via the sub mechanism.

    I'm still a believer in picking a team having regard to conditions (wet, dry, heat etc) and the strengths/weaknesses of the opposition. Obviously Goodwin has another view

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    51 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

    I reckon Dunstan was pretty stiff at times in getting more AFL games.

    There were opportunities there where I felt we needed another big bodied experienced midfielder to come in towards the back end of the year and shoulder the burden off Oliver and Petracca who were getting physically targeted aand heavily tagged. 

    The two finals games were perfect opportunities to bring Dunstan for Sparrow imo. Sydney's experienced and bigger bodies were simply too strong for ours. 

    Then against Brisbane Jarrod Berry put the hard clamps on Oliver and took him out of the game while Petracca was running around on a broken leg, Viney was disappointing and Sparrow was completely overwhelmed and MIA. Someone with bigger body and over 100 games of experience would have been handy to chop out in the midfield.

    I've harped on this before but Sparrow (yes I know coaches rate him highly) was pretty disappointing for me last year. I know he does the defensive stuff well but when we needed someone to stand up to help the likes of Oliver and Petracca, he was no where to be seen. By all reports he's having a strong season so hopefully that'll translate into stronger influences on games.

    On Dunstan, I have no idea where he's at now. Clearly Goody doesn't see fit for him at all and it's now looking like another Brayden Pruess perplexing decision in bringing him in even if it's depth.

    Goody's reluctance to reward VFL form or bring in the required depth when actually needed means the likes of Dunstan will be lucky to play 5 games this year.

    Sparrow

    Weid

    Joel Smith

    The Demonland Holy Trinity 

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    1 hour ago, Diamond_Jim said:

    Some good points there. Perhaps the role could be shared between Dunstan and Sparrow via the sub mechanism.

    I'm still a believer in picking a team having regard to conditions (wet, dry, heat etc) and the strengths/weaknesses of the opposition. Obviously Goodwin has another view

    Agree.

    The sub could work well for the likes of Dunstan and Sparrow who could come on and provide much needed relief and grunt when games are neck and neck.

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    Should be in direct competition with Sparrow for that half forward/mid spot if the club decides to implement an integrity of selection policy this season.

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    On 2/11/2022 at 9:00 AM, durango said:

    The reason players who are free agents want to go to successful clubs is the promise of maybe playing in a GF and ultimately a premiership.

    Really?

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