TWO MONTHS since joining Melbourne, Luke Dunstan is starting to feel right at home.
The former Saint, who made the move to the Demons during the free agency period, has quickly taken to his new club, embracing all that comes with the new colours.
“It’s been awesome,” he told Melbourne Media.
“The boys have been really friendly and welcoming.
“I guess what I’ve noticed so far is they’ve got a really good balance. They’re having a bit of fun and having a bit of a laugh, but at the right time, they crack in and get serious.”
With 116 games and 46 goals to his name, it was mostly Dunstan’s midfield experience that fit the bill for Melbourne’s list management team.
The 26-year-old played 12 matches for St Kilda this year and averaged 25 disposals a game.
He got his first chance to impress his new teammates and coaches on December 6, when the Demons kicked off their pre-season training, and he’s only looking to build on that going forward.
“It was a tough first week – I think we did nearly 30km for the first week, so I was pretty sore over the weekend,” Dunstan said.
“But the standards in terms of finishing their work has been really good and noticeable.
“I was feeling a little bit average on day one, but I had a bit of physio treatment and stuff through the week, and I feel like I’m in good shape and running well.”
Joining a premiership winning side has made for a couple of different experiences, including running out onto the MCG in front of 30,000 Melbourne fans in December.
While the occasion was a little odd for Dunstan, who came across following the win, it was a chance to take in what it really meant for the Demon faithful – and aim higher for 2022.
“It was an awesome experience for the boys,” he said.
“I guess it felt a little bit weird for me, not being part of it last year and coming from a different club, but it was cool to see, and the boys obviously deserved it and finally got to lap it up in Melbourne with the fans.
“One thing I have noticed is that the boys seem hungrier to go again and I think the language they’ve been using is around how special it would be to do it back home in Melbourne in front of all the Melbourne fans, so it definitely makes you want to jump on board.”
