WHEN Lynden Dunn was officially elevated into the leadership group early in the 2014, it felt right for the long-serving Demon.

With Mark Jamar the only current Melbourne player to have been on the list longer, Dunn said it was a role he felt privileged and ready to assume. 

“I’ve always wanted to be in the leadership group but not for the title. I feel like I’ve been a leader at the footy club for a long time and now I’ve just got the official title of being in the leadership group,” he told Dee TV.

“It’s funny how expectations of yourself as a leader go up and the way I look at my own footy now, when I review my own games and the team’s performance, a lot of it comes back to my leadership and bringing other players along with me.

“It is a lot of pressure but it’s something that I enjoy. I feel like I’m a natural leader and I’m still working really hard to develop my leadership skills.”

Dunn said while he got satisfaction from being a leader, it was simply “just what I do”, as his passion for the club is recognised by all associated with the red and blue.

“I feel like my off-field leadership is quite good as well,” he said.

“I care for the footy club and my teammates and I have a genuine interest in all the blokes that I play with, which I think is important, especially because everyone looks at AFL players as footballers and sometimes forget that they’re real people as well.

“I’ve made some great mates for life over my time here and there’s 44 players who I’d go to war with here, as well as the coaches and everyone else involved with the club. It’s about building relationships which is also part of a leadership.”

Like Jamar, Dunn has “seen a fair bit” in a decade or more at the club, but he was adamant and confident about the club’s direction.

“I’ve had about seven coaches and I’ve played with a lot of players. It is something that I’m proud of because I’ve survived a lot of things, but it’s not just about surviving. I don’t want to be a survivor, I want to play finals and I really want to take the footy club forward,” he said.

“I feel that with my consistency and my game now, building my leadership skills on and off the field, I can really take the club to where we want to get it to and play finals footy.

“It is a privilege to be on a list for one year, let alone ten years. I’m a life member of the footy club now which means a lot to me but I just really want to play finals for Melbourne.”

Now one of the best key defenders in the business, Dunn said after being “thrown around” in different positions throughout his career, he had relished playing down back. But his versatility remains an important part of the team’s make-up, as he can play key roles in attack and the midfield.

“I’ve always thought that my versatility is one of the strengths of my game but I love playing down back and I love the group that we’ve got in the backline,” he said.

“Having a position down there and being a leader down there is something that I’m really thriving on and enjoying. There’s always a new challenge every week and I’ve found the challenges of playing as a leader of the footy club is a lot greater than just being a player.

“I look forward to really growing as a leader in the coming years at the footy club.

And Dunn already has his sights set firmly on one thing in 2015 – pushing for September.

“I’d love to play finals – that’s probably the only thing that I really want to do. Win more games of footy and plays finals footy – simple,” he said.