Sydney could be about to pay the ultimate price for passing up Western Bulldog Josh Dunkley
JOSH Dunkley is the Swan that got away — and Sydney could be about to pay the price in this week’s AFL Grand Final.
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JOSH Dunkley is the Swan that got away — and Sydney could be about to pay the price.
The Swans passed on the son of club great Andrew in last year’s draft and will now face the Western Bulldogs forward in Saturday’s grand final at the MCG.
Bulldogs recruiters liked what they had seen in the AIS Academy graduate and were over the moon last November when the Swans failed to match their second round bid (pick 25) for the father-son prospect.
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Dunkley spent a large part of his early childhood running around the Swans dressing rooms while his dad, full back Andrew Dunkley, shut down opposition full forwards.
His earliest footy memories were as a five year old playing with his dad and red and white legends like Paul Kelly and Adam Goodes.
“I remember running around the change rooms stealing chewing gum off Kenny (Williams) and hanging around Goodsey,” Dunkley told the Daily Telegraph.
“I remember running out in Dad’s last game so that was a stand out for me. Paul Kelly retired in the same game so he had his kids there as well.”
Dunkley trained with the Swans last year in the lead up to the draft and nominated the club his dad played for as a father and son selection. When Sydney didn’t match the Bulldogs bid it didn’t bother him too much, he was just happy to be playing in the AFL.
“I was happy either way,” Dunkley said.
“The childhood dream for me was just to be on an AFL list. When Sydney didn’t match that bid I wasn’t too concerned, I was still going to another club and was able to live out that dream.
“I would have been happy to go to Sydney and continue the family tradition or start afresh at the new club. Having Lukas Webb (Bulldogs team mate) helped make it easier to settle in at the Bulldogs because we both went to the same school in Sale (Gippsland Grammar).”
On Saturday the rookie will be doing his best to bring his father’s old club undone. It’s a scenario he couldn’t have even dreamed about.
“It’s a fairytale,” Dunkley said.
“But once I’ll go out there on the weekend it will be business as usual. I’ll try to approach the game like it’s any other club. I’ll put that connection with the Swans aside and go out and do my job. We’ll go into this match with a lot of confidence. We’ve won three very big finals, the way we’ve been able to approach the games and the way we’ve played has been very good.”
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Dunkley said his dad’s ability to barrack for the Bulldogs has been an interesting to watch.
“He’s getting better,” Dunkley said.
“Every week I play I think he’s getting better. The past three weeks have been amazing for us as a club. Having mum and dad, my sister and brother and my uncle from Sydney there as well on Saturday was special.”
Originally published as Sydney could be about to pay the ultimate price for passing up Western Bulldog Josh Dunkley
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