Luke Dahlhaus
Encyclopedia
Luke Dahlhaus is an Australian rules football
er who plays for the Western Bulldogs
in the Australian Football League
. Easily recognisable on the field with his dreadlocked hair, Dahlhaus' enthusiastic and energetic style of football have quickly made him a fan favourite.
. He was also selected to play for the Geelong Falcons
in the TAC Cup
youth competition, where he spent two seasons and played 27 games. In the 2010 TAC Cup
, Dahlhaus averaged 21 disposals and six tackles per game, and was the leading tackler in the competition. He also represented Victoria Country at the under-18 national championships, and finished third in the Morrish Medal
count with 18 votes. He was rewarded for his hard work by being named in the TAC Cup Team of the Year. Later in the year he broke the record for agility at the state screening.
in the reserves side, but was soon promoted to the senior side, with coach Peter German
noting his aggression and enthusiasm.
After playing a handful of promising games for Williamstown, coupled with significant injury worries, the Bulldogs promoted Dahlhaus from the rookie list and named him as the substitute player in the match against St Kilda in Round 12 at Etihad Stadium. The Bulldogs lost the game, but Dahlhaus showed lots of promise in the limited game time he was given. He gathered 9 disposals and showed some dash with his run-and-carry along the wings.
Better was to come in his next game against Adelaide. The Dogs broke a four-game losing streak - winning by 30 points - and Dahlhaus was recognized as one of the best Bulldogs players. He recorded 18 disposals with six inside-50s, laid four tackles and kicked his first career goal in the last quarter to seal the victory.
In round 21 Dahlhaus earned a nomination for the 2011 AFL Rising Star
.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er who plays for the Western Bulldogs
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
. Easily recognisable on the field with his dreadlocked hair, Dahlhaus' enthusiastic and energetic style of football have quickly made him a fan favourite.
Early career
Described as a "very strong and quick small forward who picks up possessions almost at will," as well as "a good stoppage player," Dahlhaus began playing football with his local team Leopold in the Geelong Football LeagueGeelong Football League
The Geelong Football League is an Australian rules football league in Victoria, Australia. It is the highest quality league in the Geelong area, with numerous former AFL players playing for various clubs.-History:...
. He was also selected to play for the Geelong Falcons
Geelong Falcons
The Geelong Falcons are a junior Australian rules football representative club in the TAC Cup competition, Victoria, Australia.The club takes in talented junior players from the Geelong, Colac and Warrnambool regions in order to groom them for AFL selection...
in the TAC Cup
TAC Cup
The TAC Cup is an under 18 Australian rules football representative competition held in Victoria, Australia. It is based on geographic regions throughout country Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne with each team representing 12 Victorian regions....
youth competition, where he spent two seasons and played 27 games. In the 2010 TAC Cup
2010 TAC Cup
The 2010 TAC Cup season commenced on 27 March and concluded on 19 September. For the first time the Greater Western Sydney Football Club competed in the competition fielding its junior squad, replacing the Gold Coast Football Club who competed in the 2010 VFL Season. It was the 19th season of the...
, Dahlhaus averaged 21 disposals and six tackles per game, and was the leading tackler in the competition. He also represented Victoria Country at the under-18 national championships, and finished third in the Morrish Medal
Morrish Medal
The Morrish Medal is an Australian rules football award.Formerly awarded to the Best and Fairest player in the VFL Under 19 competition , since 1992 the award has been given to the best player in the Victorian TAC Cup Under 18 competition.The Morrish Medal was named in honour of Tom Morrish, a...
count with 18 votes. He was rewarded for his hard work by being named in the TAC Cup Team of the Year. Later in the year he broke the record for agility at the state screening.
AFL career
The Western Bulldogs selected Dahlhaus with their pick number 22 in the 2011 AFL Rookie Draft, and was assigned the guernsey number 40. He started the season playing for affiliate club WilliamstownWilliamstown Football Club
The Williamstown Football Club, nicknamed The Seagulls, is an Australian rules football club based in Melbourne and are currently playing in the Victorian Football League...
in the reserves side, but was soon promoted to the senior side, with coach Peter German
Peter German
Peter German is a former Australian rules footballer who played with North Melbourne in the AFL. He played 185 games with the club, mostly in the midfield....
noting his aggression and enthusiasm.
After playing a handful of promising games for Williamstown, coupled with significant injury worries, the Bulldogs promoted Dahlhaus from the rookie list and named him as the substitute player in the match against St Kilda in Round 12 at Etihad Stadium. The Bulldogs lost the game, but Dahlhaus showed lots of promise in the limited game time he was given. He gathered 9 disposals and showed some dash with his run-and-carry along the wings.
Better was to come in his next game against Adelaide. The Dogs broke a four-game losing streak - winning by 30 points - and Dahlhaus was recognized as one of the best Bulldogs players. He recorded 18 disposals with six inside-50s, laid four tackles and kicked his first career goal in the last quarter to seal the victory.
In round 21 Dahlhaus earned a nomination for the 2011 AFL Rising Star
2011 AFL Rising Star
The AFL Rising Star award is given annually to a stand out young player in the Australian Football League. The 2011 Ron Evans Medal will be awarded to one of the 24 nominees. The 2011 award was won by Dyson Heppell of the Essendon Football Club....
.