Luke Dunstan

[skeptic]

I think the reference to Powell was more in the context of style rather than disposal.

Powell was a very good mid whose strength was more in getting his hands on the pill and getting it out rather than what he could do with the ball... And also on his ability to attack the contest, throw his weight around etc.

I think it's a reasonable comparison.

People have been really harsh on Dunstan in my opinion. He's a developing mid that has played pretty much every game since debut and is now into his 4th season i think. Because he's been around a while, I think people forget just how young and green he is, and they have this expectation that he should be consistently one of our better mids each week...
The lack of depth in the midfield, exposes his deficiencies more than most.

Personally, am very happy with how he is developing...
He's tough, can get his hands on the pill, runs all day, and is durable. He is inconsistent, and his outside game needs to improve but he's progressing nicely for mine

He lead the charge in the 3rd.

You're point?

[The OtherThommo]

Not even considering the level

Just player type

And to think Lenny was not great in his first three years is an interesting observation. Rising Star nomination and 20 odd games in his first season.

In his third year he was shining and injured his shoulder R13 and never returned.

The following year he was clearly our best player a mid season. Only a broken hand cost him a b&f. He finished Runner Up.
Then he won the B&F was an AA and a league gun

Neither am I, and I'm not making comparisons. I'm just considering how an 18 or 19 draft pick is shaping in what is a very different game 20 years later.

About the only comparison I'd bother making is Lenny had a midfielder role model who was the best in the comp, as he has acknowledged. That's one bit of fortune Dunstan doesn't have but, again, the development path these days is very different.

I think Dunstan is very, very long odds to have a career anywhere near Lenny's.

Very few will, across the whole competition, but that won't hold Dunstan back from achieving what is possible for him. Very much a self starter, young Luke, and football smart to boot.

Maybe he'll finish up as our very own Sam Mitchell. Now there's a bloke he is clearly in advance of at a comparable stage.

[st.byron]

I think the reference to Powell was more in the context of style rather than disposal.

Powell was a very good mid whose strength was more in getting his hands on the pill and getting it out rather than what he could do with the ball... And also on his ability to attack the contest, throw his weight around etc.

I think it's a reasonable comparison.

People have been really harsh on Dunstan in my opinion. He's a developing mid that has played pretty much every game since debut and is now into his 4th season i think. Because he's been around a while, I think people forget just how young and green he is, and they have this expectation that he should be consistently one of our better mids each week...
The lack of depth in the midfield, exposes his deficiencies more than most.

Personally, am very happy with how he is developing...
He's tough, can get his hands on the pill, runs all day, and is durable. He is inconsistent, and his outside game needs to improve but he's progressing nicely for mine

He lead the charge in the 3rd.

You're point?

The point is I think, that he was instrumental in us smashing the pies in the third quarter. His game and potential beginning to blossom.

[st.byron]

Ditto here, St.B, on all of that from both you chaps.

I'd also argue it takes longer these days for the true potential to develop. The longer time comes from 2 main sources - 1) the increased athleticism of all players leaves young blokes needing longer and 2) the complexity of 'game plans', whereby a lot more time is needed to integrate everyone into a unit (players spend a lot more time in the 'classroom' than they did 20 odd years ago).

Throw in, in Dunstan's case, that he had a shoulder redone at the end of his 1st year and, like a lot of others, he needed to lighten off to be better suited to the ever quickening game, and you have extra challenges to be mastered by one in his 1st couple of years at the caper.

He's going fine.

Yes good points to also take into account. Far more complexity in game plans and a much more even pool of talent to compete with.

[ausfatcat]

Only a broken hand cost him a b&f.

bloody thug Scott (can't remember which one)

[The OtherThommo]

Only a broken hand cost him a b&f.

bloody thug Scott (can't remember which one)

Doesn't matter, 'cat, they're twins in more than just DNA.

[saint-stu]

Maybe it's just me but Luke Dunstan reminds me of a young Luke Ball. I think we could do a lot worse for a pick 18. Ball was great for us in 04/05 and in the GF in 2009 and was held back by injury between.

Luke Dunstan
H 184
W 82

M D C G T
3.69 18.75 3,96 0.56 3.75 2014
3.26 17.05 2.95 0.63 3.68 2015
2.67 17.00 4.00 0.00 7.33 2016

Luk Ball
H 183
W 84

M D C G T
3.31 15.75 3.06 0.63 3.00 2003
3.80 19.96 4.84 0.68 5.04 2004
3.92 22.00 4.79 0.50 5.25 2005

They even have the same name.

[BigMart]

Again

Not talking about level of ability but player type

Lenny carried the footy forward and was a more complete inside/outside player. He moved better than Dunstan in space (his evasive skills were amazing). Also Lenny had better skills, was silky as a first year.

Luke is a diesel tractor who accumulates (especially in close). Nothing wrong with that
Priddis, Kennedy, Liberatore, Lewis are similar.
Even Mitchell is an accumulator .... He rarely runs with the footy and breaks lines, he just side steps and distributes the footy to the runners or lead ups

[skeptic]

I think the reference to Powell was more in the context of style rather than disposal.

Powell was a very good mid whose strength was more in getting his hands on the pill and getting it out rather than what he could do with the ball... And also on his ability to attack the contest, throw his weight around etc.

I think it's a reasonable comparison.

People have been really harsh on Dunstan in my opinion. He's a developing mid that has played pretty much every game since debut and is now into his 4th season i think. Because he's been around a while, I think people forget just how young and green he is, and they have this expectation that he should be consistently one of our better mids each week...
The lack of depth in the midfield, exposes his deficiencies more than most.

Personally, am very happy with how he is developing...
He's tough, can get his hands on the pill, runs all day, and is durable. He is inconsistent, and his outside game needs to improve but he's progressing nicely for mine

He lead the charge in the 3rd.

You're point?

The point is I think, that he was instrumental in us smashing the pies in the third quarter. His game and potential beginning to blossom.

Yeah but why quote me, I'm not really arguing the contrary.

[Spinner]

Best game both Dunstan and Ross have played.