Dirty Laundry - Dunstan

[B.M]

Just a poor aerobic engine… very heavy legged!!!

His inability to spread defensively was a problem

[Impatient Sainter]

Dunstan is that slow he makes Stephen Powell look quick and a great kick. You have to wonder how someone with his lower body core strength is such a poor kick. IMO he was fortunate to get drafted and even more fortunate to get 8 years at the club. If we ever drafted elite pure midfielders he would have been gone years ago.

The club have made the right call and TBH I will be very surprised if he gets more than 12 month contract with a new club if at all.

[Saintly66]

Who cares the bloke is a cuck, glad we’ve moved on.

[Wayne42]

Who cares the bloke is a cuck, glad we’ve moved on.

Does that describe him on field or off field ?

[cwrcyn]

A poor decision to recruit him in the first place. I remember looking at his U18 'highlights' and thinking "My God, this guy is treacle slow, why did we draft him?" To think that Zach Merrett went about 7 picks later than Dunstan. You just shake your head in disbelief.

The reality of Dunstan's career so far is:

Up until this year he had rarely had over 17 possessions in a game
His ability to get from contest to contest was poor
He would disappear for a quarter or a half at a time, barely touching the ball, mostly later in games
His kicking skills are in the bottom 5% in the league
He's good at clearances
He's tough in close
He is slow
His decision making is ordinary
His defensive running has been well below par over his career
He fumbles below his knees far too much for a midfielder
He's had a few serious injuries that haven't helped his cause (two shoulder recontructions and a torn pectoral muscle)
In his rage and fury at being overlooked he finally got his fitness up to a reasonable level this year. That rage and fury would have helped him a few years ago.
He needed to ask himself "What are the things in my game that makes my coach think I have little to offer?"
Could he honestly look at videos of his performances, and upon seeing those dreadful kicks going inside forward 50, or those inexplicable unforced kicks out of bounds on the full, and not be disappointed in his skill level?

[bangaulegend]

Imo Dunny was a handy player who played to his limitations . Fair call to say he is the past & look to the future but the guy was a bloody handy saints player & the amount of disrespect that is being thrown around is pretty f---ing ordinary IMO

[SaintPav]

Publicly bad-mouthing your former club when you're still seeking a contract with another club.

Good luck with that!

[Vortex]

Publicly bad-mouthing your former club when you're still seeking a contract with another club.

Good luck with that!

Yup

[saintbob]

It was about time someone gave him some honest feedback, probably should’ve been moved on last year when we could’ve got something for him.

[bangaulegend]

Publicly bad-mouthing your former club when you're still seeking a contract with another club.

Good luck with that!

Put yourself in the same position . I don't know what you do or did in your profession but I know if I was Dunny & my employer treated me with such contempt I would be speaking from the heart as well

[shanegrambeau]

Wow …
I didn’t watch the Saints much at all after the early 2000s…except for Great Lyon years and only patch6.
Missed all of Richo…
But I know we let go Newnes, Wellar, Acres and some others I guess, from the Richo years which were presumably worse than Dunny. The stuff I’m reading now doesn’t sound like a guy who can play 100+ games as a midfielder in the AFL.. but that’s what he did.

[SaintPav]

Publicly bad-mouthing your former club when you're still seeking a contract with another club.

Good luck with that!

Put yourself in the same position . I don't know what you do or did in your profession but I know if I was Dunny & my employer treated me with such contempt I would be speaking from the heart as well

Just saying it's not the smartest move regardless of how he's feeling.

Also, there's always different sides to every story.

[bangaulegend]

For sure & I'm not saying it is a bad decision I'm just saying walk a mile in his shoes & you might just have an axe to grind.

[Leo.J]

If every game was played in the wet you’d keep him...

His footskills and decision making is not good enough. Was the worst kick of any mid in the comp.

[bangaulegend]

If every game was played in the wet you’d keep him...

His footskills and decision making is not good enough. Was the worst kick of any mid in the comp.

I'm not saying his foot skills are great there not but they are not as bad as it has been touted IMO

[takeaway]

A poor decision to recruit him in the first place. I remember looking at his U18 'highlights' and thinking "My God, this guy is treacle slow, why did we draft him?" To think that Zach Merrett went about 7 picks later than Dunstan. You just shake your head in disbelief.

The reality of Dunstan's career so far is:

Up until this year he had rarely had over 17 possessions in a game
His ability to get from contest to contest was poor
He would disappear for a quarter or a half at a time, barely touching the ball, mostly later in games
His kicking skills are in the bottom 5% in the league
He's good at clearances
He's tough in close
He is slow
His decision making is ordinary
His defensive running has been well below par over his career
He fumbles below his knees far too much for a midfielder
He's had a few serious injuries that haven't helped his cause (two shoulder recontructions and a torn pectoral muscle)
In his rage and fury at being overlooked he finally got his fitness up to a reasonable level this year. That rage and fury would have helped him a few years ago.
He needed to ask himself "What are the things in my game that makes my coach think I have little to offer?"
Could he honestly look at videos of his performances, and upon seeing those dreadful kicks going inside forward 50, or those inexplicable unforced kicks out of bounds on the full, and not be disappointed in his skill level?

Didn't read past your first "reality" line - 104 games prior to this year, 66 of those games were over 17 possessions. Rarely had over 17?

This year 11 out of 12 games over 17 possessions, average one brownlow vote per game.

I think undervalued, but apparently doesn't suit the club's requirements, so he's gone. I hope Bytel can show more than he has so far.

[Wayne42]

Let's hope Bytel is not Dunstan #2

[B.M]

Seriously

As an inside mid

One would hope he averaged 24

He’s around the ball at every stoppage he’s on the ground and running around in the midfield

Dunstan had a great month this season

Career wise pretty ordinary

[whiskers3614]

For sure & I'm not saying it is a bad decision I'm just saying walk a mile in his shoes & you might just have an axe to grind.

Particularly if you contrast his treatment with that of "He who can't be dropped".
Reckon Ratten has made a real c&0! of himself in both instances!

[B.M]

I’m not overly impressed with Bytel yet - kicking concerns

Running power is not there yet either

Byrnes looks handy, but kicking lacks penetration

[Toy Saint]

I'm unashamed to be a big supporter of Luke Dunstan. He received 2nd highest Brownlow votes, and I believe 2nd highest votes on Saintsational for a reason. He's a tough inside mid, super courageous and has football smarts. Winning the hard contested ball is about the most important skill in football, and successful clubs value this highly. Look at Joel Sellwood at Geelong, a very similar player to Dunstan.

Dunstan has been treated like s*** by St Kilda and it's coaches, just like Luke Ball. He's been overlooked at selection in favor of inferior players yet he's demonstrated the courage to show up on game day when everybody else was injured and give 120% and 'stick it right up' the selectors and coaching staff.

Dunstan has trade value, but just like Luke Ball we get nothing. That's poor management.

Dunstan is perfectly entitled to speak the truth in the manner he's been treated. Clearly the club has publicly humiliated and disrespected him for over two years , he's entitled to give the club a huge wack.

Thank you Luke for everything you have done for St Kilda, and I wish you every success with your new club, where I'm sure you will be appreciated.

[Scollop]

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The reality of Dunstan's career so far is:

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His decision making is ordinary

He played selfish footy

Remember the game against Geelong where we were still a slim chance to make finals and Dunny was caught in Geelongs forward line after he turned and baulked and had about 3 chances to dish off the footy to a team mate? It cost us a goal and cost us the match

That was one of the strangest things I've seen on a footy field and typical of someone who doesn't do what's best for the team.

[minneapolis]

One has to imagine that when his career ends…
Chances are he’ll be one that looks back and wishes he’d given more than he did.

Reckon he does have the ability and talent to have been a top tier player… not elite but could have been good if he was fitter, worked harder on disposal and listened

And worked on his non-preferred side for the last 15 years.

[minneapolis]

Perfectly acceptable to feel aggrieved when you're basically being discriminated against by your employer. It was clear he wasn't playing under the same selection rules as others. This was a personal conflict between player and coach that negatively affected the team.

Good luck to him where ever he goes, this has the makings of another Hind stuff up.

Also, his poor kicking is almost as big a myth as Riewoldt being a bad kick for goal. His career stats are on par (better than some, worse than others) with the rest of our mids, which is pretty good seeing as a lot of his kicks are out of contests / traffic.

That's a crock and just a piss poor post to be honest. Dunstan has had ongoing off field issues that have worked against him for years and even at his age he still didn't get the hint. Add to that his horrendous disposal and of course he's on the outer.

Curls,

personal, mental or chemical?

[minneapolis]

https://www.sportingnews.com/au/afl/new ... gg9uda9hen

Aaron Hamill pumping up Luke's talents.

That's why you don't have a gig anymore Hamill.

Nah....Hamill is helping us out and doing the professional thing (on his way out!). Classy.