Bulldogs midfielder Josh Dunkley ‘not stopping’ after emerging as one of the game’s hottest midfield talents
A premiership in his first season had Josh Dunkley thinking AFL footy might have been easy. But he’s since learned it’s no easy ride. Now, after a breakout 2019, the Bulldog wants to go to a new level.
AFL News
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
When you snag a premiership in your first year as an AFL footballer, it’s hard to imagine life getting much better on the footy field.
Josh Dunkley isn’t afraid to admit he thought ‘how good is this?’ when he became the youngest member of the Western Bulldogs flag-winning team at age 19 as the sons of the west broke the league’s longest premiership drought in 2016.
“My first year was a bit of a rollercoaster ride,” Dunkley said.
Stream over 50 sports Live & On-Demand with KAYO SPORTS on your TV, computer, mobile or tablet. Just $25/month, no lock-in contract. Get your 14-day free trial and start streaming instantly >
“I did think ‘this is all right’ and I reckon everyone would think the same thing, but soon after I was brought down to earth with a shoulder reco and that next year missed a lot of footy.
“It’s what the footy world does to you, the highs and lows of life. You obviously want more highs than lows. “
Three years on, the Bulldogs haven’t been able to ride the footy rollercoaster back to the top, but Dunkley’s own game is soaring.
In a breakout 2019 season, the 23-year-old midfielder achieved career-best numbers across the board – in disposals, contested possessions, clearances, score involvements and tackles.
Averaging more than 28 disposals a game, Dunkley finished second in the club’s best-and-fairest award behind new captain and midfield ace Marcus Bontempelli and he was also recognised internally as the club’s most improved player.
He produced a monster second half of the year and only Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe won more contested possessions from Round 7 onwards. A 41-disposal game against Carlton in Round 13 was a high point.
A promotion to the club’s leadership group for 2020 has followed.
A modest Dunkley reflects on season 2019 as a “another step in the right direction” and will whet the appetite of the Dogs’ faithful with his prediction of more improvement ahead.
“At the end of the year you come together and sit with the coaches and work out what you’ve got to improve and there is still a lot of things that I can improve on,” Dunkley said.
“I’m certainly not stopping now, I’m going to put my best foot forward during the pre-season and in-season when it comes and try and be a better player.”
Finishing fifth in the club’s best-and-fairest the previous year, Dunkley’s game had been building towards his standout 2019 that has cemented his status as a weapon in an already star-studded midfield.
But he credits a trip to the United States with Bontempelli last pre-season for specialist training camps in Los Angeles and San Diego for helping lay the foundations for his performances.
“I have been pretty close with Marcus Bontempelli, he has helped me a lot. He teaches me a lot on field, but also off field as well with leadership and things like that,” Dunkley said.
“So to go away with him last year in America and do some different training camps, meet some different people and gain some expertise around what we do and how they see our bodies and things like that just stimulates your mind.
“To come back and really be able to implement it into our program where we could and work alongside the strength and conditioning coaches in Matty Inness and Andy Barnett. They helped us a lot last year. We went away this year, too, so hopefully we see some more improvement.
“A lot of it was based around speed and power work to have the strength to take contact and then be able to get out of it. For us, because we are inside midfielders you get a lot of contact and you’ve got to try and brush it off or shrug and it’s important to be able to then dish and then give to your teammates on the outside. Certain elements of the training camp were to do with that.
“Everyone knows that AFL footballers can run so for us it was more about finding the fine detail in what we do as a player and that stuff was the strength and power work from the inside out.”
After spending more of his time as a forward in 2018, Dunkley made the transition towards a permanent role in the midfield last season.
He says he gets “goosebumps” talking about playing alongside the likes of Bontempelli and ball-magnet Jack Macrae in the Bulldogs engine room.
It’s the midfield where Dunkley believes his game thrives, but is happy to do what is best for the team.
“My best footy is probably inside, but you look around the teams that have been successful over the last few years – and Richmond is a classic example – you’ve got a lot of players that can go through the midfield and each player has to play their role for the team,” Dunkley said.
“And if my role is a little bit more forward then I will do that for success. My first year I remember that clearly I was playing a lot more forward and I needed to pinch hit in the middle when Bonti was cooked in that finals series.
“I played my role and if that’s what I’ve got to do in 2020 then that’s what I’ve got to do. I’m happy to sacrifice the individual accolades for the team success.”
Off field, Dunkley comes from a close-knit sporting clan and considers himself very family focused.
The son of former Sydney Swan Andrew, Dunkley lives with his younger brother Kyle, who was taken by the Demons in last year’s mid-season rookie draft. His sister, netballer Lara, moved north to play for the Queensland Firebirds.
And he took his mum, Lisa, to the Brownlow Medal last year.
Dunkley said he was often calling on his dad for footballing advice.
“He has obviously been through it all before and to be able to ring him whenever I want … he is always going to be on the other side of the phone talking from experience for each situation,” he said.
“There has been days when I have rang him and I’ve been struggling or worrying about certain things off field and he has been there to help me through that.
“Mum and dad will both come down (from Gippsland) and we get to see them on weekends during the season. I’m a very family-orientated man, so it’s nice to have that family support.”
Dunkley last year recommitted to the Dogs until the end of season 2022 and hopes “there’s more after that”, relishing the ride he has taken so far under coach Luke Beveridge.
“I had great conversations with Bevo about it and it was good to get it done mid-season for another three,” Dunkley said.
MORE FOOTY NEWS:
Brodie Grundy confirms he is signing a new contract with Collingwood
Essendon star Joe Daniher to visit injury specialist in Dublin
“Bevo has been great for me. I always remember day one of meeting him when he came to my house before the draft just for an interview and just the connection we had straight away I feel like he finds a way to galvanise the group straight away just through different stuff.
“Some of the stuff that he mentions in the footy department you have never heard before, but you just find a way to click and bring everyone together. He just has just got an enormous power to be able do that and he has been so good for me growing up and becoming who I am today.
“He has been a nice guiding light for me along the way.”
Originally published as Bulldogs midfielder Josh Dunkley ‘not stopping’ after emerging as one of the game’s hottest midfield talents