Eagles draft hopeful Luke Dunstan draws comparisons to Brownlow Medallist Jobe Watson
THE youngest of three boys, Eagles young gun Luke Dunstan had to fight tooth and nail for every possession he had in backyard football.
LUKE Dunstan learned to play football the hard way.
The youngest of three boys, Dunstan had to fight tooth and nail for every possession he had in backyard football with his older brothers Joel and Jed.
"We used to have some big scraps and it got pretty willing at times,'' said Clare product Luke, 18.
"My brothers are three and four years older than me so I learnt early on how to win the hard ball.
"And, being from the country, if you're soft you don't survive.''
Dunstan's upbringing has paved the way for his almost-certain drafting this year.
Captain of SA's victorious under-18 team and joint State MVP with top-five draft hopeful Matt Scharenberg, Dunstan is a big ballwinner who brings teammates into the game.
Significantly, he has stood up on the big stage.
Dunstan shone at the under-18 nationals, leading SA to its first win in the elite competition since 1995, and he had a stellar league debut for Woodville-West Torrens against Glenelg in round 18, gathering 22 disposals.
"Luke's your genuine inside midfielder,'' said SANFL high performance manager Brenton Phillips.
"He's your tough onballer who is prepared to get smacked around in order to extract the football for his team.
"He sets up play and he's a leader. You know what you're getting with Luke and he's someone I rate really highly.''
Dunstan's SANFL coach, Michael Godden, likened him to Essendon Brownlow Medallist Jobe Watson because of his ability to win contested footy and start attacking chains with his outstanding hands.
"Luke's not your classic type of running player,'' said Godden.
"He's more like a Watson - that big-bodied midfielder who knows how to win the ball in a contest and use it well.''
The muscular Dunstan averaged 21 disposals in his three senior games before having his season prematurely ended by a foot injury.
He also booted three goals, had three goal assists and seven score assists, highlighting how damaging he can be with the ball in his hands.
Dunstan says he models his game on Hawthorn star Sam Mitchell and ace Crow Scott Thompson.
"I like the way they are able to win the ball in traffic and get things moving for their teams,'' he said.
The knock on Dunstan - who had a late start to pre-season training this year because of a hip injury - is his lack of pace while he doesn't always hit targets with his raking left-foot kick.
"I'm working on those aspects of my game and feel I'm steadily improving in both of them,'' he said.
But good judges say his supreme competitiveness will take him a long way.
"I just feel that if there is a ball there to win, I've got to win it,'' Dunstan said.
Unlike many of this year's draft prospects, the bullocking Dunstan is ready to step straight into AFL ranks and could play in round one next year.
He has been interviewed by 15 of the 18 clubs, with only Gold Coast, the Western Bulldogs and Sydney yet to touch base with him.
LUKE DUNSTAN
DRAFT TIP: 18-30
Age: 18. Height: 185cm. Weight: 83kg.
Club: Woodville-West Torrens. Position: Midfielder.
Honours: All-Australian U18 2013; SA U18 captain and MVP 2013; AIS-AFL Academy 2013.
Scouting report: A strong-bodied, tough midfielder with terrific leadership qualities. A prolific ballwinner who is strong in a contest, wins clearances and displays clean hands. A good decision maker who has had a taste of league footy.
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