From the very beginning of the 2021 season, Luke Dunstan's back was against the wall. On the outer from week one after only the one game in 2020, Dunstan was forced to dominate in the reserves to earn his way back into the starting 22.
Dunstan only managed the one game through the first 10 rounds of the 2021 season, with the Saints adamant that Dunstan would spend the remainder of his contract year in the reserves. According to Saints champion Nick Dal Santo, the Saints “to put it bluntly didn’t want him to play” at AFL level.
SEE ALSO: FIVE potential landing spots for Taylin Duman
Clearly a pill the midfielder wasn't ready to swallow, Dunstan banged down the selection door, taking advantage of the mounting injury list and the Saints' disappointing start to the season.
Averaging 37 disposals and two goals a game over a four-game stretch for Sandringham, Dunstan earned his way back into the side to be a shining light for the Saints in what was a difficult season.
Midfielder
Disposals
Tackles
Clearances
Solidifying his spot in the side in the Saints' Round 12 upset win over the reigning premiers in Richmond with 32 disposals (17 contested) and a goal, Dunstan worked his magic and looked to have done enough to earn another contract at the Saints.
Despite performing on a week-to-week basis however, the Saints dropped the contested bull for their final round match against the Dockers in Launceston, all but underlying what looked to be the inevitable outcome.
Despite ranking in the top 30 in the competition for contested possessions per game, the club last Wednesday confirmed all speculation with the decision to not offer Dunstan with another contract past 2021. The 26-year-old is now without a home for 2022.
With this in mind, we've listed FIVE potential landing spots the gun onballer could find himself in 2022.
The Suns are one of the first teams already expressing interest in Dunstan upon the news he was no longer staying at the Saints.
Given the Saints decided to delist the midfielder, the Suns are looking to pick him up as a delisted free agent or through the Rookie Draft in order to keep their draft hand.
Dunstan would fit well into a Suns midfield that has again underperformed in 2021. Despite the efforts of All-Australian Touk Miller, the Suns finished in the bottom five on the ladder for the 10th time in their 11 years in the league.
A big-bodied contested ball winner would help the likes of young guns Noah Anderson and Matt Rowell break the game open, whilst also leading the young team by example with his ability to put his head over the footy.
The Suns have an abundance of young talent (several in which are out-of-contract at the conclusion of 2022) that they need to utilise correctly, so acquiring match ready players for a "win-now" mentality has to be their main off-season focus.
With plenty of picks to use on other potential acquisitions, a relatively straight forward pickup of a player of Dunstan's calibre for nothing would be a welcomed move for a side that is desperate to demand respect in 2022.
This wouldn't be the first time the Blues took advantage of an under-appreciated St Kilda player. Jack Newnes has reinvigorated his career at Carlton after finding himself out of form and out of favour at the Saints.
Newnes went from the outer at the Saints in 2019 to playing every game for the Blues in a COVID 2020 season, even breaking St Kilda fans hearts watching him be a match winner for another club with an astounding after-the-siren goal in Round 12.
Could Dunstan be the next Saint to reinvigorate his career at the Blues?
The Blues have paid big money to recruit outside talent to the club, an approach that similarly to the Saints didn't pay dividends in 2021. Picking up a contested bull like Dunstan to shoulder some of the inside work from captain Patrick Cripps would be invaluable.
And being able to do so without having to reach further into their wallets makes a move on Dunstan a match made in heaven.
The pair would be a great mix with both on the ball alongside Sam Walsh, but also allow Cripps to see more time in the forward-line, taking further strides to be a "Dusty Martin" type operator.
By all reports out of the Holden Centre, the Pies are far from past the salary issues that saw them have one of the more spectacular trade periods of recent memory.
With the likelihood of another senior leader of the club forced out due to the tight salary squeeze, the Pies will be open to looking for bargain bin buys.
The equation is relatively simple at the Pies. Anyone they attract needs to come for significantly less money than they are potentially worth. So far, Luke Dunstan is the player that fits that bill.
With a lengthy rebuild inevitable at the Pies, Collingwood can still do with a player that can lead the next wave of talent whilst career still being in the frame to reap the rewards down the track.
Luke Dunstan is only 26 years of age and can still have a long future in the league given the opportunity, and he is exactly the type of player that Collingwood need to lead the next wave.
In 2021, the Magpies ranked 16th in the competition for contested possessions. Struggling to get their hands on the football at the source is a problem requiring rectification, with the acquisition of Dunstan (29th in contested possession per game in 2021) an ideal start to solving the issue.
After the announcement that young gun Adam Cerra is certain to be playing elsewhere in 2022, the Dockers have a hole to fill in their young midfield group of the future.
Despite still having the likes of David Mundy and Nat Fyfe, the development of the next wave of young midfielders has been the major priority for Justin Longmuir since arriving at the club. The trio of Andrew Brayshaw, Caleb Serong and Cerra have been the core of Fremantle's midfield throughout the season. But have now all but lost a member.
Luke Dunstan could be a low-risk option for the Dockers to experiment in filling the Cerra void. At 26 years old, Luke Dunstan's best football is still ahead of him. He can be the leader of a young Fremantle midfield once the ageless Mundy calls it time and Fyfe continues to make the transition up forward.
A friendly face will also help Dunstan fit in with the group out west who have former Saint Blake Acres applying his craft at Fremantle after the Brad Hill trade.
It is also an easy sell for someone like Dunstan, who will welcome the warm weather and restriction-less life that WA have successfully achieved in the COVID-era.
Lastly, a move back home might be exactly what the doctor ordered for Dunstan, who was drafted by the Saints in 2013 from the Woodville-West Torrens Football Club in the SANFL.
Adelaide have compiled a nice list that has a lot of promise for the future. Ben Keays is emerging as one of the competition's up and coming stars, whilst their is young talent starting to find their feet in every position.
Led by the likes of captain Rory Sloane and Rory Laird in the middle, another spot will open up in the middle in 2022 as the Crows start to shop around ball-magnet Matt Crouch.
Crouch missed the entirety of the 2021 season with several groin injuries, sitting alongside Sloane who was forced to deal with injuries of his own.
Despite dealing with a pectoral injury in 2020 that heavily contributed to his inability to work his way back into the side, Dunstan has been a largely healthy player that has been available for large chunks of his career.
A player of Dunstan's skillset would be a highly valuable asset for the Crows who need a consistent presence in their centre set-up.
At Dunstan's best, he can be the perfect complimentary piece for Keays, Sloane and Laird. He can get the football from deep in the trenches and facilitate the others who can use the ball from the outside, similarly to Tom Liberatore's role at the Bulldogs.
Adelaide have started to build a list that can grow into top eight contenders in the coming years and the addition of Dunstan can not only majorly contribute in their pursuit but also be around for the long haul.