Delisted Sam Dunell

[saintsrfreak]

SAM DUNELL
Age: 21
Height: 189cm
Weight: 81kg
From: Bendigo Bombers
Position: Midfield
Son of former Bomber Frank Dunnell has strong hands and boasts good speed and endurance.

 

[Kildonan]

Re: Sam Dunell

Think Dunell is son of Frank (good player for Essendon).

Comment in a match report:
Sam Dunell appears a very likely prospect, playing as a versatile roaming forward with good hands and an ability to be equally at home flying for the mark or collecting ground balls.

pretty sure i wrote that match report.

Anything to add?

played 6 games for bendigo late in the year after playing for Old Melb's. Made the VAFA rep sides. I only saw his VFL games. I really liked what i saw, a very clever and natural player who seems to know where to be to get involved and is able to both fly and crumb. would take some nice marks on the lead and play on without hesitation. looks a natural goal kicker. I was hoping that the few games may have limited his exposure and appeal, but someone at st kilda obviously saw what i saw in him. Looks to have NO professional preseasons behind him, so even though he's 22 (i think) there seems to be good scope for upside. very promising and interesting player.

Thanks (to Essendon's "resident VFL guru").

Sam Dunell, son of Frank, 21yo, 187cm, 79kg midfielder/small fwd. Bit of a late-bloomer, but has moved to Bendigo recently. Acquitted himself pretty well from what saladin said, though he looked small, skinny and not quite ready for the pace of the VFL in the televised game against Werribee, and since there's no way he's actually FROM Bendigo I can only assume he's there because EFC wanted a look at him. Naturally enough, the week AFTER the televised game, he kicked 2 and was named in Bendigo's best against Collingwood 2s. Total of six games for Bendigo, 4 goals, once in the best. Previously was playing with Old Melburnians in the VAFA, having a very good and consistent year, 13 games, 31 goals, 9 times in the best. Kicked the winning goal in the VAFA/VCFL match in July. Played in the Young Guns game in mid-September and from what reports I've seen, did pretty well.

Dedicated state league watcher HFF_10 (aka HFF_07) saw him at this game and was nice enough to contribute a review ...
Sam Dunell was definitely a class above, with his smarts and his skills a real feature of his game. He kicked a couple of really classy goals and stood out with his smarts and ability to outposition his opponent.

Took a couple of very good contested marks, the only major concern is he simply doesnt get enough of it. Far to often he went missing for periods of the game. When he was involved he looks the goods.

... two in fact!
Dunnell was good when he got his hands on it, but probably didnt get his hands on it enough. Set up a couple of goals, kicked one or two himself and looked a class above, but, like I said, didnt get enough of it.

Resident VFL guru saladin kindly contributed a writeup
Sam Dunell turned 21 in February this year (born 1990). listed as 187cm in height, 79kg weight. Has been playing at Old Melburnians in their 1st team ( A-grade Amo's). He made the July VAFA rep side that defeated Vic Country in Shepparton where he kicked 2 goals. Prior to that, he took part in the National U23 Amateurs Championship held in South Australia. The Vics won the comp, Dunell was named in the best in 3 of the 4 games (including 2nd BOG in the final against WA, behind Hellier) and earnt AA honors for the tournament.

Have to say saladin, my favourite review on our new pick from you was today!

"shit. saints just took dunell".

Thanks Squiz and Saladin

 

[Murraj1966]

He's looking very capable at the moment.

 

[Squizz]

Sam Dunell #38

How's this bloke for a potential AFL footballer?

Sam Dunell was playing cricket in 2009, playing 2nds in district cricket (highest local league in Melbourne).

"There was no doubt I was nowhere near ready and I always loved playing footy and continued to play but my cricket was more advanced than my footy through school. It was only from when I got out of school that I started to grow and my body started to mature."

Dunny played VAFA in 2011 before getting a game in the U/23 VFL team, and then a few late season games with the Bendigo Bombers - aligned to Essendon where his father played 100 games.

Dunell “I got lucky, being 21 when I got drafted, but that seems to be my life story. I got signed the day before they stopped signing people in the VFL on June 30. I signed with Bendigo after someone had left and it just fell my way. I was only expecting a couple of games and I ended up playing most of what was left of the season and a final.” http://www.saints.com.au/NEWS/NewsArticle/tabid/5315/newsId/133370/Default.aspx

Whilst there was no father-son selection, a former teammate of Frank Dunell at Essendon was Tony Elshaug (now St Kilda's head recruiter).

Comments at the time of being rookied by the Saints:
http://www.saints.com.au/tabid/5315/default.aspx?newsid=127138
"He's a 21-year-old and has really come onto the scene with more prominence this year. He played the last six games with the Bendigo Bombers in the VFL, including a final, but prior to that he was playing with the Old Melburnians in the A-grade amateurs. We've really liked his development over the course of the last 12 months."

He played 12 games Sandringham (6 times in the best players) before being elevated to the senior list.

Watters “Sammy has worked hard for his opportunity and his elevation is on the back of consistent form and elite preparation. He is competitive, reads the game well, has very good hands and is another of our younger players that will develop the capacity to play numerous roles.” http://www.saints.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/5315/newsid/141229/default.aspx

He played 5 AFL games, the first 4 as a sub, and showed intensity, a good pair of hands, and the same spearing kick that he displayed with the Zebs.

He returned to play another 3 games at Sandringham, and was in the best twice including in the final against Box Hill with 17 possessions and 6 marks.

I'm a big fan, and I'd be disappointed if the club didn't elevate him so he's available from round 1. I'd also like to see an upgrade on his guernsey number, although I don't think he's getting #7 (his father's old number) any time soon.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Really liked what I saw from Dunell when he played for us this year. Just kept on running hard and finding himself in the right spots to get the ball and despite being subbed on in all of his first 4 games, he got a good number of disposals in most of those games relative to the number of minutes he played. For instance he got subbed on about half way through the 3rd quarter against Collingwood and had 9 possessions, in a big, do-or die game, in a quarter and a half.

Not only did he get a good number of possies, but what he did with them was often very impressive, particularly his handballs, one of which was brilliant right handed, over the right shoulder one to someone running directly behind him, who didn't have to break stride. It was the sort of trick handball that Stevie J would have been proud of. He then did a very deft one to someone else running past that also didn't have to break stride that really impressed me. Often it is hard to handball it to someone that is running that close by you without bouncing it off them, but his touch was perfect and I think he did another similar one a bit later on. He is someone who seems to be able to get the ball and be rid of it to someone in a better position in a very short space of time, without having to think about it, or second guess himself.

He also had 13 possies and 5 marks in our game against the WB and from memory he was subbed on during the 3rd quarter of that game as well. Even if he was subbed on at half time that is the equivalent of a 26 possie and 10 mark game and that is very impressive for someone in just their 3rd game.

He looks like someone who will be able to play a lead-up role up forward, but be just as comfortable on the wing and could probably just as easily play across HB, where his reading of the play, good height, pace and strong marking would be assets.

Apparently he was used in the sub role this year because he didn't yet have the tank to play the full 4 quarters, after having had just the one proper preseason in his life, by the sounds of it (at any level above ammos), so I'm really looking forward to seeing how he progresses next year, now that he has this year under his belt and hopefully another full preseason under his belt. With Gram and Goddard gone we are going to need others who can step in those outside roles and he looks like he could do so well, if he is able to do for 4 quarters what he regularly did for a quarter and a half this year.

According to the club he works extremely hard and has a great attitude and so on, so there seems no reason why he couldn't have a very good career.

 

[hayes]

There's literally nothing about his game not to like. Always makes the right decision, uses the ball extremely well, good mark, can play anywhere, I could go on and on. Going to be a key player for us next year IMO, we need him from round 1.

 

[aussierulesrules]

For me he's a bit like a slightly taller version of Farren Ray, but with even stronger marking ability and probably more versatility, with better ability in the forward line, in particular. Going to be really interesting to see how his career progresses.

 

[aussierulesrules]

http://www.saints.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/5315/newsid/141857/default.aspx

“His form at Sandringham this year has basically forced us to pay real attention to him. He’s almost been in the top three every week that he’s played.”

“(He’s) unbelievably diligent in the way that he goes about training. He’s one of those kids that always had a notebook in hand at every meeting and he’s writing everything down.”

“When he came in he had real maturity (and) with another pre-season under his belt we think we’ve found another player there which is great.”