48 Facts About Jason Dunstall

Jason Hadfield Dunstall was born on 14 August 1964 and is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League.

Jason Dunstall was one of the first of a generation of big-bodied lead-up full-forwards who could out-wrestle opponents for position in a marking contest and was an agile team-orientated player.

Jason Dunstall was born and raised in Brisbane as one of three sons, his brothers are Harry and Nicholas.

Jason Dunstall attended the Anglican Church Grammar School from 1977 to 1981.

Jason Dunstall grew up supporting the Carlton Football Club due to Coorparoo wearing the same jumper and aspired to one day play for the VFL club.

In 1984, as a 20-year-old, Jason Dunstall made his senior debut and enjoyed a stellar season, claiming the QAFL leading goalkicker award with 73 goals in the home and away season and kicking seven goals in Coorparoo's Grand Final win.

Jason Dunstall instead receive an offer to train with Fitzroy, but reserves coach Brian Walsh was not impressed, choosing to recruit fellow Queenslander Scott McIvor instead.

Jason Dunstall was recruited to VFL club Hawthorn in 1985, touted as a new tall forward option, his recruitment largely overshadowed by the hype of West Australian recruit Steve Malaxos.

Jason Dunstall made his 1985 VFL debut against Melbourne at Princes Park.

Jason Dunstall had an immediate impact, kicking an impressive three goals and three behinds in his team's demolition of the Demons; however, he was third in the team's goalkicking, behind Dermott Brereton and John Kennedy.

Jason Dunstall was dropped from the side three games later after a loss to Richmond; however, he regained some form towards the end of the season, finishing with 35 goals.

Jason Dunstall had kicked 98 goals going into the match, and Hawthorn supporters expected the required two goals to come sooner rather than later.

Jason Dunstall kicked a further six goals for the game to finish with 8 goals.

Jason Dunstall won his first club best and fairest award.

Jason Dunstall established his reputation as one of the best full-forwards in Australia during the 1989 VFL season.

Jason Dunstall won his second straight Coleman Medal, tallying 128 goals, during the home-and-away season and finished third in the Brownlow Medal vote count.

Jason Dunstall kicked ten or more goals in a match twice: In Round 16, he kicked 11 goals against Collingwood; in Round 22, he kicked 11 goals against St Kilda.

Jason Dunstall added ten more goals during the finals series, four of those in the epic 1989 premiership victory, to take his overall tally to 138 goals for the season.

Jason Dunstall won the club best and fairest award for the second straight year.

In Round 4 against Brisbane Bears at Princes Park in wet conditions, Jason Dunstall kicked 8 goals, bringing up his 500th career goal in the process, as the Hawks won by 82 points.

Jason Dunstall fell heavily on an opponent's boot and sustained a serious injury at the front of his head.

Jason Dunstall was taken from the ground and admitted to The Alfred Hospital.

At that stage of the season Jason Dunstall had kicked 41 goals.

Jason Dunstall kicked 82 goals in 1991, including six in the Grand Final as Hawthorn claimed their 9th Premiership.

Jason Dunstall won his third Coleman Medal after kicking 139 goals during the home-and-away season, and finished second in the Brownlow Medal vote count.

In Round 7 Jason Dunstall kicked what would be his career best of 17 goals against Richmond, just one goal short of the record held by Fred Fanning of Melbourne.

Jason Dunstall reached his century of goals against Geelong in Round 16 at Kardinia Park with his fifth goal of the match just before half-time.

Jason Dunstall ended the match with 9 goals and beat three opponents as Hawthorn won by 19 points.

Surprisingly, Jason Dunstall's knee healed well enough for him to play half a reserves match just before the start of the 1997 AFL season, and was picked to play against St Kilda in the opening round.

Jason Dunstall recovered in time for the start of the 1998 AFL season.

Jason Dunstall had kicked 52 goals for the season before tragedy again struck in Round 14 against Carlton, the same team against which Dunstall had injured his knee the previous season.

Jason Dunstall's shoulder was put in a special brace for several weeks, and club physiotherapist Barry Gavin was optimistic of his chances of returning before the end of the season, a view not shared by doctors at several other clubs.

Jason Dunstall did return for the final game of the year, but only after having announced his retirement, first to the Hawthorn coaching and management staff, then to the general public on the Seven Network football show Live and Kicking.

Jason Dunstall was clearly moved by the occasion; however, a severe lack of match fitness meant he struggled to have much impact on the game.

Jason Dunstall did score the first goal of the game and the first goal of the last term.

Nevertheless, the 40,000 or so Hawthorn fans that came to pay tribute to their champion cheered every touch that Jason Dunstall got of the ball.

The Hawks kicked 11 goals in the last quarter to win by 89 points, and amid emotional scenes Jason Dunstall was chaired off the ground by his teammates, bringing to a close one of the most successful eras in Hawthorn's on-field history.

Jason Dunstall has been guest commentator on the Seven Network and radio station 3AW and was a regular panellist in the early days of The Footy Show.

In 2002, Jason Dunstall was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

In 2004, Jason Dunstall held the position of interim CEO at Hawthorn.

Jason Dunstall was reportedly furious when details of his whereabouts were made public, resulting in people knocking on his house door asking for photos with him.

Jason Dunstall was especially threatening towards James Brayshaw, a colleague at Triple M and one of the hosts on The Footy Show who had labelled Dunstall a "sook".

Jason Dunstall has hosted various television shows, including the Seven Network's Live and Kicking and Fox Footy's Saturday Central, On the Couch and League Teams.

Jason Dunstall was a host of Triple M radio show The Gospel with Nathan Brown, Peter Everitt and Nick Riewoldt until 2006.

Jason Dunstall was a member of The Friday Rub on Friday nights alongside James Brayshaw, Garry Lyon and Damian Barrett on Triple M Dunstall is the host of Bounce, a weekly football show broadcast on Fox Footy.

In July 2014, Jason Dunstall was elevated to Legend status in the Hawthorn Hall of Fame.

In 2024, Jason Dunstall was made one of 32 players in the history of Australian rules football to be elevated to Legend status in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

Jason Dunstall became close friends with Danny Frawley during the 12 years they spent together on Bounce until Frawley's death in 2019.