Among the premiership players and AFL Stars, Phil Dunk was one of the most popular people at the Calder Cannons Hall of Fame function on Saturday night.
Dunk may not have ever played or coached a game for the Cannons, but everyone ever involved at the club knows him.
Premiership star James Kelly calls him a legend, while Paul Chapman singled him out in his speech when inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Having been at the club since day one, the loudest cheer of the night was for Dunk, the club’s trainer, when he was announced as one of the inaugural inductees into the club’s Hall of Fame.
The man himself was shocked to be inducted alongside the likes of AFL premiership players Chapman, Kelly, Ryan O’Keefe, Jude Bolton and Darren Milburn.
Dunk was speechless when his name was announced.
Later in the night, he told the Star Weekly that he was absolutely stoked.
Dunk said a lot had changed since he started at the club.
“I have been here since the start of the competition.
“The first three years with the [Western] Jets and the league formed the Cannons they asked me to go over there [to the Cannons] as it’s a bit more convenient.
“The showgrounds [which was the home ground] was pretty primitive.
“The funny thing was at the showgrounds we had a gymnasium, which we don’t have at our new place [in Craigieburn].
“It’s a bit funny that it was primitive at the showgrounds but we had a gym, those sort of things change.”
Dunk’s role has also changed over the years.
“The role is changing in how much I do. I’m still there and do what I need to do.
“The younger people coming in now and they take over a bit. I’m always giving a bit of direction or getting advice of physios or doctors.”
The 2001 premiership, the club’s first, is Dunk’s favourite memory.
“The first flag in 2001, I was really stoked and [seeing] the people that have gone through, the players and the coaches.
“Robert Hyde taught me a lot of about how he went about coaching and his style of coaching.
“I think Jude [Bolton] is probably the best player to come from the club, but the person who has changed their game the most is Ryan Crowley.
“When he first came you couldn’t give him enough money to go near a player. Now he is a top tagger.”
Dunk has no plans of retiring yet.
“I want to stay as long as possible. As long as I’m useful and don’t take up space and still learning stuff that is the main thing.”
