Would Jason Dunstall be selected in a present-day side?

[nineteen eighty]

Jason Dunstall was one of the stay at home forwards who were actually putting pressure on defenders and he was a freaking jet before his knee reco's and wasnt just a one dimension forward, he was very selfless for a Forward in that Era when he would often pass off if someone had a better shot, Unlike a lot of forwards who took a shot if they had the ball and were 55 meters within goals.

Where he would struggle with the current era of having people float back into leading space and the way he used to just bully defenders out of marking contests with his superior strength rather how the current AFL umpires view marking contests where your not allowed to put your hands on a defender to even guard space. And considering he was probably the worst overhead mark of a Stay at home forward since Simon Mintell Connell he would have to change his game

Guys like Plugger would struggle more (no this isn't a dig at your OP or any sydney/St Kilda fans), Where he relied on absolute brute Strength and letting Defenders know that they risked the morgue if they ever floated into his space. But no doubt still would of been very handy.

Pretty much agree with all of this. Dunstall was a team man first and foremost and did the team things like chase, tackle and harass well before it became mandatory for forwards to do so. Great player for the Hawks!!

One point though, Dunstall had excellent, clean hands on the lead. He may not have been a great overhead mark but he had very good hands on the lead.

 

[nineteen eighty]

Yes he defo would.
A better one. Q: Would any club draft Richo into a present day side?
A: No

You cannot be serious! Would love to understand your thinking on this one. Richo was Buddy before Buddy came along...with the only real difference being Richo could take a contested mark.

I'm assuming therefore that you're not talking about Mathew Richardson but Mark Richardson from Collingwood.

 

[Natho]

Dunstal would dominate. Get his fitness up to modern day standard and he'd be one super footballer

 

[Sanders]

Selected and dominant

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

One point though, Dunstall had excellent, clean hands on the lead. He may not have been a great overhead mark but he had very good hands on the lead.

Actually, the thing that impressed me most about Dunstall when I first saw him in 1985 was his strength and ability to take tough grabs in packs. Hawthorn's forward structure after that saw a modification to his game, seeing him lead more. He still took strong grabs, but it was often he needed to do so.

 

[doug85]

So in response to this horse shit about him being slow - at the age of 46 he ran the 20m time trial in 2.90.

Do some research and see how that compares to the top draftees of 2013.

In response to the OP. **** yes.

 

[QuietB]

Everyone seems to forget that Stewie Dew was a premiership player only 5 years ago.

 

[aflcliche]

Thread needs videos

 

[tropicaltiger]

I think Buddy would have kicked 150 if he played during the 80s, not worth arguing over though, we'll never know for sure.

buddy kick 150 goals in the 80s, yeah right, with blokes like grinter, ronnie andrews, danny hughes and robbie muir running around, buddy would have been glad he was in brown shorts...

 

[Omega Blue]

Jason Dunstall the established player, a resounding yes, but Jason Dunstall the 17 year old draftee, would even be looked at.

 

[Fire]

No. He could kick several goals a game, but his defender would be setting up far more going the other way.

 

[greatgatsby]

No. He could kick several goals a game, but his defender would be setting up far more going the other way.

I don't think this defender would be spending much time away from Dunstall, not if he wanted a game the following week.

 

[Fire]

I don't think this defender would be spending much time away from Dunstall, not if he wanted a game the following week.

Not to sound like a dick, but I daresay that's because you don't now much about how the modern game is played then.

man on man hasn't been a thing for over a decade now.

 

[greatgatsby]

Not to sound like a dick, but I daresay that's because you don't now much about how the modern game is played then.

man on man hasn't been a thing for over a decade now.

Maybe too late. Watch plenty of the 'modern game'. Also saw all of Dunstall's career.

 

[raskolnikov]

Not sure why the OP chose Dunstall as opposed to any other player from the past.

 

[the distributer]

buddy kick 150 goals in the 80s, yeah right, with blokes like grinter, ronnie andrews, danny hughes and robbie muir running around, buddy would have been glad he was in brown shorts...

Yeah right, I'm sure Buddy couldn't give as good as he got either

 

[IanW]

Jason Dunstall the established player, a resounding yes, but Jason Dunstall the 17 year old draftee, would even be looked at.

If he got the timing right, the three words 'Queensland zone selection' come into play.

Now, imagine a 19 year old Dunstall breaking off on the lead with Ablett, Martin or O'Meara streaming out of the midfield ...

 

[the distributer]

I think one thing that sets the likes of Dunstal-Lockett and Ablett apart from today's FFs was their accuracy, they were professional goal kickers, but would they maintain that accuracy if they had to work as hard as the power forwards of today?

I know Dunstal was very good defensively, but he didn't play on dashing defenders week in week out, he wasn't required to do the work of today's forwards, most of the power forwards today are endurance freaks and they have to be, todays game style demands it.

For those of you old enough, think back to the Lockett-Dunstall era, remember how many of their goals came from leads straight up the guts? They wouldn't get anywhere near the amount of goals with that method against the modern defenses, they also wouldnt be the fwd50 target anywhere near as much

IMO all the great FFs would make it in today's game, but 100 goal seasons would be as rare as they are now, 130 goal seasons completely out of the question, impossible.

 

[tonk]

Dunstall would be selected in every club side that has ever played.

 

[IanW]

IMO all the great FFs would make it in today's game, but 100 goal seasons would be as rare as they are now, 130 goal seasons completely out of the question, impossible.

These things go in cycles - between 1955 and 1967, 80 goals would have won the Coleman, and then things exploded with Hudson, Wade and McKenna.

A more interesting question for me is, rather than the team-oriented, tackling and chasing Dunstall, where would a Tony Lockett go today ? He'd be a somewhat chubby, poor beep test result full forward who played some seniors for Bendigo, and then kicked bags of 6, 8 and 12 in TAC Cup, but also copped a suspension for fighting.


In this day and age, what teams would be prepared to bet on him ? And would he get a fitness oriented coach, who'd drop him for poor training ?

 

[IanW]

I think one thing that sets the likes of Dunstal-Lockett and Ablett apart from today's FFs was their accuracy, they were professional goal kickers, but would they maintain that accuracy if they had to work as hard as the power forwards of today?

In his first two years, Cameron has kicked 29.15 and 62.27

In his first two years, Lockett kicked 19.17 and 77.44

In his first two years, Dunstall kicked 36.27 and 77.31

In his first two years at Geelong, Ablett senior kicked 33.28 and 82.67

Yeah. The best of the kids today - and Cameron is - is the equal of the legends we have accuracy statistics for, at the same time in their careers.

 

[Bloods]

Would be close to the best player in the comp. Champion.

 

[Dr Tigris]

Look at Fev as a recently retired FF. Similar to Dunstall in that he was a pure lead, mark goal FF.

Dunstall had more tricks and was better defensively. So I'd argue Dunstall would be great in the modern game.

On Plugger, he'd kill it. So big fast, great mark, great kick, and very physical.

i was sooo lucky to be watchign AFL when those guys were on fire, with GAS in there as well.

 

[worthy]

In his first two years, Cameron has kicked 29.15 and 62.27

In his first two years, Lockett kicked 19.17 and 77.44

In his first two years, Dunstall kicked 36.27 and 77.31

In his first two years at Geelong, Ablett senior kicked 33.28 and 82.67

Yeah. The best of the kids today - and Cameron is - is the equal of the legends we have accuracy statistics for, at the same time in their careers.

Some very interesting comparisons, accuracy and totals. Cameron is in very good company, shit he's an exciting talent. Wonder if he'd be interested in moving to Victoria in a couple of years.

 

[La Vache]

Would be most suited playing a Hurley role I reckon.

Now imagine how good Hurley would be if he could mark the footy going flat stick, kick a set-shot properly, and actually tackled every now and then.