Congratulations to Luke Dahlhaus - 100 games this week.

[bornadog]

http://s.afl.com.au/staticfile/AFL%20Tenant/WesternBulldogs/Photo%20Galleries/2014%20-%20Galleries/WB%20AFL%20Photos%20Portraits/311718-tlsnewslandscape.jpg

He has been one of the most consistent players for us over 100 games and has only missed one match in the last three years. Maynot get huge number of possessions, but consistently averages around 20 plus and a large percentage of those are contested. The stats don't show how brilliant his second efforts are

Well done Luke.

[craigsahibee]

Just a great work ethic. I would love it if he improved his goal kicking, but at least he's getting the footy enough to allow him to have shots at goal. Well done Luke.

[bornadog]

Just a great work ethic. I would love it if he improved his goal kicking, but at least he's getting the footy enough to allow him to have shots at goal. Well done Luke.

On Saturday, Wallis thought Luke was a better shot that him and further out as well.:D

I think his kicking in general is stopping him from being called elite.

[EasternWest]

What a great find. What a great player. Represents everything I love on field about supporting the Red White and Blue.

[bulldogtragic]

Great effort. Also nearly 800 games from the rookie list last week/this week. Huge return from the rookie list.

[Ozza]

Love this bloke. Talk about bulldog spirit. Just absolutely gives everything for the club every week. Really genuinely underrated.

He's really raced to 100 games - at 23 years of age. All going well and healthy, he should become a very high games player for us.

[Mantis]

If Libba is the heart & soul of the team, then this bloke runs a very close 2nd.. Just an absolute work-horse.

A vital memeber of our team.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

If Libba is the heart & soul of the team, then this bloke runs a very close 2nd.. Just an absolute work-horse.

A vital memeber of our team.

Dahl has elevated his game again IMO.

Received a lot of attention thus far but is still having a big influence due to sheer hard work and effort. It's incredible watching how hard he works.

[Remi Moses]

Can't believe he's got to 100 . Been Outstandng, his pressure skills, tackling are elite .
The other week I think we had 50 odd forward half tackles and he had 13 of them .

[I'm Not Bitter Anymore!]

And tough he gets pounded every week

[Twodogs]

Dahl has elevated his game again IMO.

Received a lot of attention thus far but is still having a big influence due to sheer hard work and effort. It's incredible watching how hard he works.

In a practice match I saw him make a couple of token efforts that were very unlike him but since then he hasn't put a foot wrong.

[F'scary]

He has got possibly the best second effort in the whole competition. That soccered goal against Brisbane - perfect example. Congrats Luke. Potential for 300 club.

[anfo27]

Congrats Luke & congrats to the recruiting team, what a find Luke has been. I think he is possibly our most important player because he always seems to give us a spark when we need it. His work ethic and resilience have taken his game to another level annually. Love this bloke and wish he would bring the dreadlocks back, the only white dude that dreadlocks looks good on.

[lemmon]

Rushed up on everyone, wasnt long ago he bashed down the door at VFL level in a manner few guys have. Few players make the transition from pressure forward to genuine midfielder and Dahlhaus has done it with aplomb.

[GVGjr]

Would Dahlhaus be regarded as an A grade player in the AFL? I think we all would but I wonder how he would be perceived by the AFL community?

[Go_Dogs]

Would Dahlhaus be regarded as an A grade player in the AFL? I think we all would but I wonder how he would be perceived by the AFL community?

In the eyes of opposition supporters and the AFL community, I would say he's not quite there yet. For whatever reason, he doesn't quite attract the media attention and gushing that others do - most likely due to him now being a very workman-like midfielder who is just as (or more) comfortable at the coalface doing the heavy lifting than he is doing the flashier stuff.

He'd be in our best 4 or 5 performed players to date in 2016.


Great to see him notch the 100 game mark after starting out as a rookie who didn't get picked up because (IIRC) his suspect field kicking - but boy, he's another shining example that if you are driven and tenacious, you give yourself every chance to succeed in whatever you do.

Well done Luke - here's to the next 100.

[chef]

Would Dahlhaus be regarded as an A grade player in the AFL? I think we all would but I wonder how he would be perceived by the AFL community?


I deal with a lot of neutrals on another forum and he's held in as high reguard as we hold him. Any one who knows their footy knows this kid is a gun.

[merantau]

First time I clapped eyes on him he was on TV playing for Willy. After watching for time minutes my reaction was : "This kid can play!" He was in everything and NEVER GAVE UP. He is definitely a prime mover for us. His courage and passion are team lifting. Well done Luke - you are a gun and supporters love you.

[1eyedog]

His ability to kick a goal when we need it is amazing. Absolute gun.

They were calling him one of the very best smalls in the comp on Saturday. I think quite a few people think of him as A grade outside the club.

[westbulldog]

Congratulations Luke, a great achievement, you exemplify all the good qualities of our club.

[Sedat]

Hardly a dud game in 100 so far - a real heart and soul player and absolutely elite in defensive pressure.

Looking forward to many more fantastic games from him over the next 8+ years.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Great thread full of terrific posts for a truly inspirational player

Looking forward to seeing Luke dominate the last game of the year!

[bornadog]

Would Dahlhaus be regarded as an A grade player in the AFL? I think we all would but I wonder how he would be perceived by the AFL community?

I think he is underrated by many

[GVGjr]

I think he is underrated by many


A guy at work was naming 5 of our best players and left out Dahlhaus. I kept reminding him that right at this moment Dahlhaus might be the best of a pretty good lot but he needed some convincing.

[Ghost Dog]

He is a small player. Shorter players are always overlooked, pardon the pun.
I can't think of a more consistent player on our list. Very highly regarded in Geelong!

[LostDoggy]

Gun.

100 games already, could go 300.

[Ghost Dog]

And Durable. One of very few players to play every home and away game in 2015.

Averaged 25 disposals and only twice got less than 20.

In future days people might laud the highlights reel of flashier players, but for us Dog-watchers it's that durability and repeated service over a long career that gains cult status.

[soupman]

A guy at work was naming 5 of our best players and left out Dahlhaus. I kept reminding him that right at this moment Dahlhaus might be the best of a pretty good lot but he needed some convincing.

Take it as a compliment.

Not too long ago Dahlhaus was the most exciting prospect on our list and on his way to being the face of the club. He still is somewhat, especially the kids programs, but the likes of Bontempelli, Stringer, Wallis, Hunter and Wood have all rose to prominence since. We have a very talented list when a 23 year old of the ilk of Dahlhaus isn't even in the first few names when asked to name your best young prospects.

[Twodogs]

Brad Johnson certainly picked the right player to pass his number to.

[NoseBleed]

At the 2011 season launch after the Jumper presso, I was stopped in the hallway by a short, slight, dreadlocked kid in a Bulldogs suit and tie who was proud as punch to be there even if he hadn't earned a jumper and a call up on stage yet.

He asked in a polite and shy voice if I'd take a photo of him and his other two rookie mates on his phone. One was blond and pasty, the other dark and curly haired. All were very shy, almost embarresed to ask if I'd take their photo. Eventually, I got one of the three of them on all of their phones.

Wish I'd asked them all to wait an extra 10 seconds and dug my own phone out for a selfie for posterity.

[1eyedog]

A guy at work was naming 5 of our best players and left out Dahlhaus. I kept reminding him that right at this moment Dahlhaus might be the best of a pretty good lot but he needed some convincing.

Interesting. When Liam was traded to Carlton a friend at my work was lamenting the trade. I asked him if you could have any other player from our list who would it be? Answer was Dahlhaus. He said that he gets the job done everywhere.

[Twodogs]

Interesting. When Liam was traded to Carlton a friend at my work was lamenting the trade. I asked him if you could have any other player from our list who would it be? Answer was Dahlhaus. He said that he gets the job done everywhere.

The friend was a Carlton supporter?

[Eastdog]

Congratulations Luke. Great effort to reach 100 games.

[LostDoggy]

Congrats Dahlhaus, I've loved watching you the past few years. Best thing to come out of Geelong (I say as an ex-Geelong resident haha)

[LostDoggy]

Congrats Dahl.
Tough as nails,gets smashed everyweek and just keeps getting up and onto the next contest.
Inspirational.
Has be one if not the most underated mid/forwardpocket in the league.

[LostDoggy]

Watching him go about his work live is just a treat. He's so underrated.

Opposition coaches clearly rate him. That's why I get the feeling Jacobs goes straight to him Friday night.

[Smads57]

Definitely one of the best...congrats Luke on achieving this milestone.

[jeemak]

He's exceeded my expectations and I just love him as a player.

I've gotten over the fact he'll never be a great kick and will have some issues with goal kicking from time to time. It's allowed me to concentrate on the wonderful things he does in every single other area on the ground. He is fantastic overhead, he possesses strength beyond his stature and it allows him to control contests as well as anyone on the ground, and he's a fantastic ball winner in his own right who has the key attribute I look for in a midfielder - goal scoring ability.

He also seems like a really good kid and proud to be a Bulldog. That's what I love most about him.

[Bulldog4life]

Congrats to Lukey. Luke is one of my favourites. i Always remember the first time I saw him. It was at The Social Club get together at Etihad the year he was drafted. I was standing near this very young looking guy with dreadlocks and as the food was being passed around to the guests he cheekily reached out and took some and ate it very quickly. One of the other players said to him, "You can't do that". He replied"I'm hungry". I laughed then and still do thinking about it. Sums up Luke's playing style too, a cheeky hungry little player.

[whythelongface]

Luke is a legend and epitomises the spirit and nature of this club. Well done on reaching the 100 game milestone.

And here's to think that I thought he was trade bait after the 2014 season. How wrong I was.

[Ghost Dog]

He's exceeded my expectations and I just love him as a player.

I've gotten over the fact he'll never be a great kick and will have some issues with goal kicking from time to time. It's allowed me to concentrate on the wonderful things he does in every single other area on the ground. He is fantastic overhead, he possesses strength beyond his stature and it allows him to control contests as well as anyone on the ground, and he's a fantastic ball winner in his own right who has the key attribute I look for in a midfielder - goal scoring ability.

He also seems like a really good kid and proud to be a Bulldog. That's what I love most about him.

Dalrymple disagrees with you there. Don't agree about the kicking. His low kicking accuracy is what put him under the radar of many clubs. Dalrymple ( I think ) said in an interview he came to realise many of his kicks were under a furious amount of pressure. He is, in fact a pretty good kick. To compare examples, Biggs is also one of the least accurate in our club, yet it's because he takes risks.
Our recruiting team, who watched Luke early in his career, didn't think Luke was a bad kick at all and drafted him thus. Goal a game speaks for itself. I'll dig out the interview if I get time, but thanks to his perceived poor kicking, we were able to draft an absolute gun.

[bornadog]

Dalrymple disagrees with you there. Don't agree about the kicking. His low kicking accuracy is what put him under the radar of many clubs. Dalrymple ( I think ) said in an interview he came to realise many of his kicks were under a furious amount of pressure. He is, in fact a pretty good kick. To compare examples, Biggs is also one of the least accurate in our club, yet it's because he takes risks.
Our recruiting team, who watched Luke early in his career, didn't think Luke was a bad kick at all and drafted him thus. Goal a game speaks for itself. I'll dig out the interview if I get time, but thanks to his perceived poor kicking, we were able to draft an absolute gun.

Dahl is a shocking set shot goal kicker.

[Greystache]

Dahl is a shocking set shot goal kicker.

He's also a terrible kick on the run for goal. On a snap, or under pressure out of a pack he's fine, but running into goal I mark it down as a behind before he evens kicks it.

Dahlhaus makes up for it in many other areas, but if he was even just an average kick at goal he'd be elite.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

He's also a terrible kick on the run for goal. On a snap, or under pressure out of a pack he's fine, but running into goal I mark it down as a behind before he evens kicks it.

Dahlhaus makes up for it in many other areas, but if he was even just an average kick at goal he'd be elite.

When Dahl first started with us, he was actually OK but his last 2-3 years have been awful in front of goal.

If he were adequate, I'd have him in the top 15-20 players in the game.

Still love the way he goes about it though.

[Twodogs]

He thinks his way through a situation as well as any player I've seen.

[ratsmac]

Congrats Dahl on an amazing 100 games.

He often sets the tone for applying pressure on the opposition. Always gives 110% and often turns a situation where we all out of position, but he manages to lay a great tackle and get the turn over and turn it into a score our way.

Lots of love for Dahl!

[KT31]

Congrats to Dahl, hope he has a blinder.

[bornadog]

Luke Dahlhaus reaches 100 games but still living on the edge after draft disappointment (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/western-bulldogs/luke-dahlhaus-reaches-100-games-but-still-living-on-the-edge-after-draft-disappointment/news-story/2772507cd25df0f79dd2cb6b14f9b2bf?from=herald%20sun_rss&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter)


LUKE DAHLHAUS will never forget the tears of rejection.
It was draft night in November 2011 and he had been warned.
His manager Peter Lenton had told him not to expect too much but the young Geelong Falcons goalsneak couldn’t help it.

“I was just watching it at home on Foxtel and I didn’t ask anyone over because I was only hopeful it could happen,’’ Dahlhaus said.
“Peter said if you get picked up St Kilda will probably take you around the 40 mark.
“As soon as it went past that pick my heart sunk and I knew from there no one else would take me
http://pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/news/content/v1/?category=/section/heraldsun.com.au/collection/popular-content/all/24hours/&t_product=most-popular-mobile&td_standfirst=false&td_kicker=false&td_byline=false&td_resultSize=6&maxRelated=20&display:footer=true&origin=omniture&t_template=s3/chronicle-component/readnext/templates/index&domain=heraldsun.com.au&td_widget=otherstories&widget=otherstories

“It was pretty disappointing. I went into the shower after that and just had a couple of tears. It was a pretty sad night.”
Two days later he would be invited by Geelong’s Stephen Wells to train with the Cats ahead of the rookie draft.

http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/ec785b3230a27dc393d7d777f2904a17?width=650

Wayne Ludbey Out of the blue the Western Bulldogs swooped at pick No.22 in the rookie draft, with Geelong taking forward Josh Walker with the next selection.

Friday night at Etihad Stadium the 23-year-old will celebrate 100 games, having raced to triple figures in just over five seasons.

http://resources.news.com.au/files/2014/03/18/1226857/940050-left.gifThat’s the way I like it — I don’t like the limelight.

Luke Dahlhaushttp://resources.news.com.au/files/2014/03/18/1226857/940141-right.gif


And yet if Dahlhaus is one of the emerging stars of the game — ranked the AFL’s second-best mid-forward — the sense of living on the edge has never left him.
Just as teammates Dale Morris and Matthew Boyd carved out careers of significance from the rookie list, Dahlhaus believes it taught him hunger and desire.
“It’s funny that rookies aren’t the blokes who are the most skilful or polished footballers — they are the ones who do the one-percenters and just try to get the ball,’’ he says.

“I think when you are that sort of players, it is do or die. That is the sort of attitude I have. Speaking to Moz (Morris) and Boydy, you go in with that attitude.”
Dahlhaus still isn’t sure whether Geelong would have taken him with its next selection in that rookie draft.
“I know it was me and Josh Walker and Jon Simpkin who were all going for the same spot,” he said.

http://pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/news/content/v1/origin:video_integrator.1haTg1MzE6FsGKWeBpksnPgFRh7kESgL?t_p roduct=video&t_template=../video/player
“I am not sure how Wellsy saw me in the end. I will never know if they had me slotted in but I didn’t have much else in terms of interest.
“I had a phone call from the Kangaroos and Hawks but that’s all they were and then my name popped up on the computer. I was so happy to get a foot in the door.”
Remarkably, as Dahlhaus’s game has become more rounded his profile has slowly been pushed back into the shadows.
He burst onto the scene with a shock of dreadlocks and an electric style of play, tackling and chasing so well the comparisons with Gary Ablett Jr flowed.
Back then he was the beacon of hope for the talent-starved Dogs, but slowly Marcus Bontempelli, Jake Stringer and Jack Macrae have put their names up in lights.
Not that Dahlhaus is perturbed. “That’s the way I like it — I don’t like the limelight,” he said.
“It doesn’t show with the haircut I had, but I like to fly under the radar and do my role. That’s what has got me to 100 games, playing my role every week.

In last year’s final against the Crows only Lachie Hunter won more of the ball than Dahlhaus (27 possessions).
Although don’t get him started about his fear of birds, a trait his teammates will freely share.
“I am pretty upset that’s got out. Yeah, I am terrified,’’ he admits.
“As a young kid we used to go and chase magpies in Leopold and one got spooked pretty badly.“It wouldn’t leave me alone for about 1km and ever since then I have been petrified.
“Something about them scares me and Jake Stringer taped a dead bird into my locker not that long ago.
“I got the biggest fright of my life. By my reaction he won’t do it again because I nearly fainted.”

“Blokes like Bonty and Stringer and Caleb Daniel can take the limelight. They are absolute superstars and I love playing with them.”
The blue collar streak has him living a quiet life in Williamstown, working on a carpentry apprenticeship and surfing with mates down the coast.

This year his stats as usual are peerless, even if he has added even more midfield time to his game.
As a mid-forward he ranks second behind only Brisbane’s Dayne Zorko in rankings points, is first in the league for groundball gets, third for clearances, tackles and score involvements and fifth for disposals.

http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/d8609fe68a6e33ee86344f1014c38a8b?width=650

On Friday night the miserly Dogs, conceding just 56.6 points per game, run into the freewheeling Kangaroos.
Only St Kilda (52.6 points per game in the first five rounds of 2009) have conceded less points since Carlton in 1967.
Dahlhaus says the Dogs’ remarkable ability to share the load will help them combat the Roos.
“This year I have been in there about 10 per cent more. You basically start as a forward or mid and swap every five or six minutes,’’ he said.
“Having fresh legs in the middle of the ground, it is a mentality that drives the team and helps ball movement and defence.

http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/6fec63a032f4de64cb1fdec3f98529e9?width=650

“That is a pretty surprising stat (about our defence) but we are attacking so well that we defend even better.
“It you attack well it’s in your forward 50m and then it’s easier to defend. If you have shots at goal you might kick some points but it’s harder for teams to attack from their defensive 50.”
Re-signed last year until 2018, Dahlhaus will never forget where he came from or who gave him that first chance
“I don’t think twice when it comes to contracts to stay at the club,’’ he said
“If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be playing footy for a living. You can tell by all the boys signing up, everyone is excited and everyone wants to be on the ride.”

LUKE AWAY NOW

Ranking Points: 109 (2nd)
Disposals: 23.8 (5th)
Contested Possessions: 12.2 (3rd)
Ground ball-gets: 9.4 (1st)
Clearances: 5.0 (3rd)
Score Involvements: 7.0 (3rd)​
Pressure Points: 46.0 (6th)
Tackles: 6.4 (3rd)
Source: Champion Data

[Daughter of the West]

Who's house? Dahlhaus!

Congratulations on 100 excellent games, may there be 200 more!

[Murphy'sLore]

So this means we get any future little Dahlhauses? Can't wait!
Congratulations Luke, and may you play many more.

[kruder]

I still remember him coming on as a sub against stkilda in his first game. He just gave us that little ray of hope that one day we will be back to where we are now. From the outside he looks like a popular character and players that try as hard as he does usually are. We are undermanned tonight but I reckon the boys will put in that little bit of extra Dahl effort and get over the line.