Traded Luke Dunstan

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A couple months ago he was in Sandys side and lots of people had written him off for this season and some even his career. But through hard work he got himself back in the seniors and surprisingly is playing the best football of his career so far . So happy that he has turned it all around .
 
One of our few good all game players against Melbourne. Another 24 disposals, 6 marks and 2 goals . It's great that he is hitting the scoreboard with goals now . Our other mids need to take a leaf of his book and kick an occasional goal as well to help our forwards.
 

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Luke during the Melbourne game
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Massive wraps on Dunstan by Jaxons on SS:

Dunstan will be a jet trust me.

Think of some Aussie cricketers who made the Test side early on talent then got dropped and came back after some shield games and then became stars.

Dunstan had a few issues this year that affected his form and then lost some confidence.

He started to show his real talent at the end of the year and I expect him to be a star for many years.
Click to expand...

Anyone got Dunstan's averages for his last few games of the year?
 
Found some more numbers. Almost 10 contested and if it weren't for that howler he missed in the goal square against North he would've averaged a goal a game too.

Let's hope that's a sign of things to come and not just a six game hot streak.
 
St Kilda might be still adapting to life without Nick Riewoldt and Leigh Montagna around the club, but their absence is forcing younger players to step up, says Luke Dunstan.

Nearly one year after Jarryn Geary took over the captaincy reins from Riewoldt, the Saints have completed the changing of the guard since the champion pair departed the game at the end of August.

Dunstan, 22, along with Jack Billings, Blake Acres, Jack Sinclair and Jack Steele is part of a group of third and fourth-year players driving the standards across the first five weeks of the pre-season.


“It’s been very different (not having them around the club). Obviously, they were a big presence around the club and their leadership was massive,” Dunstan told saints.com.au on Wednesday afternoon.

“In saying that, it’s forcing other guys to step up and really challenge guys on the track, which is what they were always good at.

“I think in my time it hasn’t been like it has been this year with the one to four years really trying to drive the older boys and sort of drive them and challenge them to improve.

“The issue has been in the past when they’ve come back it has sort of dropped away, but we feel as though we’re still doing a really good job in that space.”

After overcoming a challenging first half of 2017, Dunstan finished the season as well as any player at Linen House Centre, flying home in the last six weeks of the year to generate some momentum into the summer and into 2018.

The South Australian has carried that form into the first month of the pre-season, running a personal best in the opening 3km time-trial of the campaign, before following that up with a strong six-minute run.

“It’s my first pre-season where I’m doing everything without any niggles or injuries, so it’s been enjoyable to get on the track at this time of year and have fun with the boys," Dunstan.

“I’m running better times than I ever have in my life yet.”

With 69 games next to his name, Dunstan is poised to take the next step in 2018.
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Young St Kilda midfielder Luke Dunstan has credited the use of a sports psychologist for his late-season resurgence, following a challenging period where he was in and out of the team in 2017.

The 22-year-old was sent back to Sandringham on three separate occasions earlier in the year, before returning against Sydney in Round 18 where he collected 29 disposals, and then followed it up with 27, 25, 24, 32 and 30.

In the closing six weeks of the season, no one polled more votes in the Trevor Barker Award than the South Australian.


During his time in and out of Alan Richardson’s best 22, Dunstan met with club psychologist Emma Murray weekly, who divided her time between St Kilda and Richmond this year, where many premiership Tigers lauded her work in the afterglow of their premiership, including Brownlow medallist Dustin Martin.

“I went through a challenging period halfway through last season, so to sort of find out things about myself as a person and a footballer really helped towards the back end of the year,” Dunstan told reporters at a press conference on Friday.

“It was the first time I dealt with a setback in not being selected; it’s probably the first time in my career that I haven’t been picked in a side, so having to deal with that was a new challenge.

“It was something I didn’t deal with the right way straight away, but through that period I was able to learn and move forward; I came out the other side which was pleasing.

“Doing some work with the sports psych was massive for me; I think Emma had a pretty big influence with that (form turnaround).

“I was just pleased I was able to turn things around and just prove to myself that I can play at the level and to a good level. It does give me confidence going forward.”

Dunstan, who has now played 69 games in his first four seasons since being selected with pick No. 18 in the 2013 National Draft, said his demeanour around the club altered after he was dropped.

“It was probably just the confidence I had in myself, which then reflected in my body language,” he said.

“I wouldn’t say I was my normal self around the club, I was probably a bit down and I wasn’t saying or speaking up as much as I normally would.”

And that was where Murray stepped in, much to the delight of Dunstan and St Kilda supporters.
 
A trio of Jack’s – Steele, Sinclair and Billings – and Blake Acres have set the pace over the first month of the pre-season, according to St Kilda midfielder Luke Dunstan.

St Kilda’s first to fourth-year players returned to training two weeks before the remainder of the list and have driven the first phase of the summer program.

“We’ve been nearly back for five weeks now so we’re well and truly back into it,” Dunstan told journalists at Linen House Centre on Friday.


“So far the vibe at the club and feel has been really good; we’re loving being back together.

“Jack Steele, Jack Sinclair and Jack Billings – the three Jacks – and Blake Acres as well –the third and fourth-year guys have really taken it upon ourselves to step up and move up with our leadership now that ‘Rooey’ and ‘Joey’ have gone.

“Everyone is having a really good crack.”

With Nick Riewoldt and Leigh Montagna in the early stages of retirement, opportunities have presented for younger players to step up in their absence.

Dunstan, who overcame a challenging first half of 2017 to finish the season with a full head of steam, said the Saints’ younger leaders had risen to the challenge and is confident that group can help the club push for a finals berth in 2018.

“‘Rooey’ and ‘Joey’ have obviously left the club; two superstar players who have been such good players for so long, but at the same time it opens up opportunities for young guys like myself to step up with leadership,” Dunstan said.

“We think we’re in a really good spot with our depth. We know that there are guys who have really come on in the back half of last year; guys like Jack Sinclair and Blake Acres really improved. We’re confident that we’re ready to take the next step.”

‪Press conference: Luke Dunstan (08/12) http://www.saints.com.au/video/2017-12-08/press-conference-luke-dunstan-0812 via @stkildafc‬
 

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Finally, after another long, hot summer in Seaford, games are here in the form of the JLT Community Series.

With one less game than recent years, St Kilda has selected a near full-strength side to face Carlton at their spiritual home, Ikon Park, on Wednesday night, in their first of two pre-season fixtures.

Saints midfielder Luke Dunstan welcomes the chance to face actual opposition, instead of the daily grind against your mates in the pre-season.


“It’s obviously been a long few months running laps and all that, so it will be good fun to get back out there and go head-to-head with someone other than your mates,” Dunstan told SEN Breakfast on Tuesday.

“Given that there are only two JLT games this year, I think that ‘Richo’ [Alan Richardson] wanted everyone to have at least two hit-outs before the real stuff starts.

“I think he’s pretty keen for everyone to have a crack that put their hand up and obviously everyone wants to play. It should be a good strong line-up.”

Dunstan, who has played 69 games since being selected with pick No. 18 in the 2013 NAB AFL Draft, says the Saints have focused on improving the defensive side of their game over the summer, working closely with new backline coach Henry Playfair.

“We’ve implemented a few things over the pre-season that we’ll want to put into practice before Round 1,” he said.

“We’ve concentrated more on our defence this pre-season and added a system to how we defend now.

“We got Henry Playfair across from the Sydney Swans and he’s been really good for us implementing our team defence.

“We think if we can stop other teams scoring more against us, we should be able to win more games.”


On iPad using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
Alan Richardson has backed midfielder Luke Dunstan to force his way into the senior side in the coming weeks.

The 23-year-old was left out of the Saints’ line-up to face the Lions on Saturday, but Richardson said Dunstan wasn’t far away.

"It's obviously disappointing for Luke not to be playing, but it's a reflection of our depth, particularly through the midfield,” he said.


“We expect him to go back to the VFL … and perform well and put pressure on (the selection committee) really soon."

The South Australian was drafted at No.18 in the 2013 NAB AFL Draft and had been a regular before being dropped for the first time in his career last season.

He returned to be arguably the Saints’ best in the latter stages of the home-and-away season.


Still looking forward to this season.
 
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