FOR much of Kyle Dunkley’s life, he’s been known as the son of Andrew, or the brother of Josh and Lara.
But on Sunday afternoon, he’s set to put his own name up in lights as he debuts for Melbourne on the MCG.
“I’m over the moon to finally get that opportunity,” Dunkley told Melbourne Media.
“It’s something I’ve obviously been chasing for a long time, so to finally get there is awesome.”
The 19-year-old is a part of a strong sporting family, with Andrew (Sydney), Josh (Western Bulldogs) and Lara (Melbourne Vixens), all succeeding at the top level in their own rights.
So, with such a strong family bond, it was fitting for Josh to break the news to his youngest sibling on Thursday night.
“I actually didn’t believe him at first – I was thinking, ‘What’s going on here?’,” Dunkley said.
“But in the end, he made it sound a bit more real and I was like, ‘Far out, here we go’.”
Dunkley, who lives with his two siblings, proceeded to ring his parents and inform them that his dream was about to come true.
“It was a pretty good night – I called mum and dad and they were pretty excited,” he said.
“They were rapt – they were both nearly in tears to be honest.
“Just to see how I felt at the end of last year [after the draft], to how I am now and how much of a difference it is and understanding the rollercoaster that you have to ride – seeing me do that has made them pretty happy.”
Dunkley hasn’t had an easy road to his AFL debut, being overlooked by all clubs at the end of 2018.
But the Mid-Season Rookie Draft provided him a second chance – one he has clearly taken with both hands.
“It’s been a whirlwind month or so,” he said.
“It’s unbelievable to think you can go from playing as a 19-year-old in the TAC Cup, to playing my first VFL game (for Footscray), to now playing AFL – it’s just crazy.
“It’s another thing I can look forward to and tick off, and then keep pushing forward and try to tick off the rest of the things that are on my list.”
Dunkley spent the start of 2019 playing for Gippsland Power in the NAB League competition, as well as representing Footscray in the VFL on two occasions.
But after a life changing move, Dunkley found himself pulling on the red and blue at Casey four times prior to his senior call-up.
And although he is still fresh to the Dees, the versatile forward has no doubt he is ready to make his mark.
“After having all that help and support around me, I’m feeling pretty confident,” Dunkley said.
“Whether it’s from my family or the coaches at Melbourne – they’ve helped me understand my role and what I need to do.
“So having that support and being able to come in for the last month and learn the basics, I’m a lot more confident now.”
Dunkley is set to run out alongside his new teammates for the first time this weekend, but after being embedded in the club for the past month, he doesn’t think it will take him too long to settle in.
“Being able to train with them throughout the week pretty much every day is going to help a lot,” he said.
“On game day it’s not going to feel like it’s a new team – it’ll feel like I’ve been a part of it before.”
In the space of 41 days, Dunkley has gone from a part-time footballer to an AFL debutant and will have a smile on his face as he takes on the Blues in Round 16.
