Dunstan to Blues

[Vazelos]

There was some talk today Luke Dunstan to the Blues....
There have been people on here that rated him a future captain over a year ago...
For mine I never saw him as a future regular for our side and he is down the pecking order of players that can play his style and with potential free agents and/or elite mids coming through he won’t be in our best 22 next season.
Perfect time to trade him and hopefully get a 2 nd round pick for him...

[ausfatcat]

talk where?

[fugazi]

Makes sense. Would be a hard ball get relief for Cripps.

[WellardSaint]

we have tried to develop him, he spent a lot of time
with the club psych, one-on-one sessions, having dinners with her family,
she taught him some mind techniques.
He's been up and down, and I think (i've said this before)
we've seen the best of him, and he's plateaued.
we won't see consistency, ever, and so the game will pass him by.

We have enough slow plodders like him.

Trade him.
He might be better at another club with different set-up;
it will not mean that we should have kept him,
because if he'd stayed a Saint, he'd just be another inside mid treading water.

The new environment would have gotten the best out of him-
which our system wouldn't have done.

[BackFromUSA]

I rate him. Plays for the team not individual glory. All great teams have players like Luke. Typical Saints to look at his weaknesses rather than his strengths. I hope we keep him because he has been used incorrectly and undervalued IMHO. If we trade him then it better be with Ratten’s blessing! He is the player type that you build clearance structures around.

[mad saint guy]

Doesn't have any real weapons in terms of skill or athleticism so his production needs to be very good to justify selection. He performed very well for an 18 year old in his first season, stagnated (actually went backwards) for the next 2.5 years, had a good stretch and the end of 2017 and started 2018 in promising form but other than that he's been one of the worst performing onballers in the competition. Would happily move him on for a pick anywhere in the twenties. Would settle for a pick in the early thirties.

[mad saint guy]

Double post

[chico2001]

Has dropped off and should not be in the best 22. To say that you can build a clearance structure around him is absurd. If he was cleared he would not be missed as far as on field performance goes, easily replaced. There is always an excuse for a lot of saints players, the main one being "used incorrectly" so therefore at least half of this team has been used incorrectly and they all should be playing in the middle. This is the problem--- typical saints belief that some of the current players are better than what they are- finished 15th this year. When does it it stop- the acceptance of inadequate performance? If he stays,where will he fit when some of the recruits (onballers) finish another pre-season? That will be another excuse to use next year.
Hope he really fires wherever he plays next year.

[CURLY]

Poor trainer and apparently is pretty loose.

[Saint wagga]

Interesting that in an article last year talking about our 'core of younger players' wanting to make a statement and win interstate against port adelaide, Dunstan was right in the thick of our young core. His lack of development/poor management would be one of the biggest indictments on our current footy department and I will be really dissapointed to see him go, but think he will thrive elsewhere.

Read a very interesting article the other day that talked about how it was rarely all the 'recruiters fauly', saying that the chances of botching every decent top 30 pick was very low and that when a whole group of draftees failed to thrive, it was more an idication that the football environment was sub par, not the recruiters/young talent picked...

Could not think of a better example than our 2013/2014 draft crops - been so dissapointing to date!

[DJ Higgins]

Not the worst trade but depends what we get. We have too many inside mids and hbf so we can trade one or two. Dunstan will help blues with his grunt int the middle and let's be honest he isn't the best. Not the worst either but gets demoted a bit.let's swe what we get offered

[Vazelos]

I read it on AFL trade rumours so is it true?
I dont have inside knowledge just what I read.
I think its likely that some contracted players will be freed up for draft selections etc.
If Hannebery comes in which is looking likely where would Dunstan play ahead of:
J Steven, S Ross, D Hannebery, J Steele, B Acres....
If we got lucky to land Shiel?!!!

Dunstan is not in our best 22 going forward at this stage, I think it could happen.

[freely]

It's a shame. We haven't had many players with heart lately. Dunstan was one, Eli...

[tony74]

Poor trainer and apparently is pretty loose.

That’s just wrong. He may have limitations but being a poor trainer is certainly not one of them. On the same topic that is one of the things you’ll see a huge improvement in. Our professionalism at training this year was poor. Will be vastly different next year.

[HitTheBoundary]

Poor trainer and apparently is pretty loose.

That’s just wrong. He may have limitations but being a poor trainer is certainly not one of them. On the same topic that is one of the things you’ll see a huge improvement in. Our professionalism at training this year was poor. Will be vastly different next year.

Was it a system problem or related to specific individuals?

Who was responsible for the lack of professionalism at training, and what is the change that you believe will bring improvements?

[Sainter_Dad]

Our professionalism at training this year was poor. Will be vastly different next year.

Why was our professionalism at training this year poor??

Coaches?? - Simple fix
Players?? - FFS a minimum of $200K and they cant perform professionally?

I know that if I turned up to work in track suit pants in a business environment day after day, I would be canned!

Answers need to be given!

[tony74]

Coaches. And they’re fixing it with new blood.

[Sainter_Dad]

Coaches. And they’re fixing it with new blood.

Thats a relief - I know that we are making in roads there - players is a harder fix.

[spert]

The Saints midfield is a big problem, and until it is fixed, we wont be playing in finals. We cannot have Ross, Dunstan and Armo in the same team playing a midfield on-ball role..it's like three of the one player with some good attributes, but nothing special. If Hannas does come on board, then one of the three mentioned will not get a gig.

[saintsRrising]

On the same topic that is one of the things you’ll see a huge improvement in. Our professionalism at training this year was poor. Will be vastly different next year.

While this is good to hear that the intent is there, I hope that this not just being directed at the playing group.

If training is poor then the main reason for me for this is that the coaches were failing to lead, direct, motivate and inspire the players in the manner needed.

I know we will have a number of new assistants (excellent), but surely Richo as the Head Coach needs to shape up.

[saintsRrising]

Coaches. And they’re fixing it with new blood.

Though if the heart (Richo) is f------- then there is only so much new blood can do.

[magnifisaint]

Poor trainer and apparently is pretty loose.

That’s just wrong. He may have limitations but being a poor trainer is certainly not one of them. On the same topic that is one of the things you’ll see a huge improvement in. Our professionalism at training this year was poor. Will be vastly different next year.

Explain why the professionalism was poor? Who drives that? The coaches?

[kosifantutti]

Our professionalism at training this year was poor. Will be vastly different next year.

Surely this could be identified during the year and something done about it.

I think the coaches that were let go have all been there for more than one year, so why was this year any different?

[st.byron]

Coaches. And they’re fixing it with new blood.

And the head coach does not have oversight of that?

[scallopsroe]

I rate him. Plays for the team not individual glory. All great teams have players like Luke. Typical Saints to look at his weaknesses rather than his strengths. I hope we keep him because he has been used incorrectly and undervalued IMHO. If we trade him then it better be with Ratten’s blessing! He is the player type that you build clearance structures around.

100% agree, alot of courage and therefore under rated, puts some of our other players to shame.