2020 Trade & Free Agency Spotlight | Luke Dunstan
Written by Joseph Addamo
Throughout the 2020 off-season, Blue Abroad will be providing content to cover everything you need to know about the Carlton Football Club.
Looking to take the next step in 2021, the success of this off-season’s recruiting is critical. We will be looking at various opposition players on the open market that could add another dimension to the current crop of players.
This is the Blue Abroad Trade & Free Agency Player Spotlight for St. Kilda’s #7 – Luke Dunstan.
WHO IS LUKE DUNSTAN?
Junior Club: Woodville-West Torrens, SANFL
AFL Selection: Pick 18, 2013 AFL National Draft by the St. Kilda Saints
Age (@ Round 1, 2021): 26
Height: 185cm
Weight: 84kg
Position(s): Midfielder
Career Games: 104
Career Goals: 45
WHAT IS LUKE DUNSTAN’S STRONGEST ATTRIBUTE?
“They need to find someone to help Cripps with a big body on the inside” – how many times have you heard that one make the rounds, Bluebaggers? While Clayton Oliver and Ollie Wines have been thrown up as the “big fish” big-bodied midfielders linked to the Blues, Luke Dunstan is now the latest player in that mold connected with Carlton this off-season.
In his career to date among midfielders, Dunstan has ranked above average for contested possession rate per game (43.9%), clearances (3.9), goal assists (0.5), tackles (4.4) and pressure acts (18.3). He also ranks average for disposals (19.7), disposal efficiency (70.9%), ground ball gets (6), marks (3.4) and score involvements (4.8).
He has struggled for opportunity at the Saints with the new arrivals of Zac Jones, Brad Hill and now Brad Crouch, as well as with the emergence of Jack Steele. His stat lines don’t scream ‘elite mid’ by any standard, but could be a more than handy cheap pickup to bolster the Blues’ midfield stocks.
WHERE WOULD ADAM TRELOAR FIT IN CARLTON’S STARTING 22?
While Dunstan possesses a great frame and a knack for winning clearances, it’s hard to place him in Carlton’s starting 22 week-in-week-out. While he might breakthrough and live up to his potential and hype, Dunstan could conversely find himself in a similar to position to Matt Kennedy at the Blues.
Patrick Cripps, Ed Curnow, Will Setterfield, Zac Williams, Sam Walsh and Marc Murphy will no doubt be the stronghold of the Blues’ midfield unit in 2021. With Sam Petrevski-Seton, Jack Newnes and Kennedy also vying for positions, along with the (hopeful) emergence of Brodie Kemp and Liam Stocker, there is a long line of Carlton players already competing for midfield time.
At best case, David Teague brings the best out of Dunstan and contends with Curnow for Carlton’s number 2 inside midfield mantle. At worst case, Dunstan becomes a low-value depth option to provide cover for when the midfield stocks wear thin through injury.
WHAT IS LUKE DUNSTAN’S CONTRACT STATUS?
Dunstan is contracted at the Saints until the end of 2021 based on his current deal. As aforementioned, he struggled through injury in 2020 and was ill-afforded opportunity when fit with the new arrivals of Jones and Hill in last year’s offseason. St. Kilda’s recent acquisition of Crouch does not make this situation any easier for Dunstan at the Saints in 2021.
Matthew Lloyd spoke on Trade Radio earlier this week on Dunstan’s situation and the potential link to the Blues:
This Crouch deal will force out a favourite son and a much-loved player at the Saints in Luke Dunstan… maybe the Blues are looking at Luke Dunstan as the inside midfielder to assist Patrick Cripps… he was tagged as a future captain with the way he played for South Australia in the Under-18 comp a number of years back.
What are your thoughts on Dunstan as a viable midfield option next year, Blues fans?
REALISTIC ACQUISITION RATING
7 / 10
PREDICTED TRADE & CONTRACT VALUE
