Australian Football

Recruited from Fish Creek and the son of Collingwood's Maurie, Ian Dustan made his debut for Footscray in round eight, 1973, and went on to play 172 games for the Bulldogs over the next 10 seasons. A relatively tall on-baller, Dustan failed to establish himself as a regular until early in the 1975 season, but thereafter rarely missed a match. 

Though his period at the Bulldogs was one of little success for the club, Dunstan was perennially "Mr Reliable", gathering possessions consistently in each game he played, driving the ball into attack. That consistency was rewarded with Victorian selection on several occasions. Dunstan made a significant contribution to the then VFL record score of 33.15 (213) that Footscray kicked in a match against St Kilda in 1978. While most remember that Kelvin Templeton kicked a club record 15 goals in that match, Dunstan had 36 touches and kicked seven goals of his own on the day.

Dunstan won the Bulldogs' best and fairest award in 1979, 1981 and 1982 but ongoing financial problems that dogged Footscray in that era saw Dunstan cleared to North Melbourne after he won the third of those awards. The moved proved fruitless for Dunstan and the Kangaroos. He missed the entire 1983 season due to injury and played only six games in 1984 before his VFL career came to an end, with 178 games and 139 goals to his name.

From 1985 to 1987, Dunstan played at Werribee, notching up 46 games and 74 goals¹. He was captain-coach in the second an third years of that period and took out the the club's best and fairest award in 1986. He later coached Sunshine in the Second Division of that competition.

Author - Andrew Gigacz