In Round 1, 2014, he played his first game for St Kilda against Melbourne. He was awarded the AFL Rising Star nomination for his performance.[1]
Dunstan became an integral part of St Kilda's midfield over the course of 2014 before bowing out after round 19 for shoulder surgery. Following his last game in round 23, St Kilda icon and Dunstan's mentor Lenny Hayes handed his number 7 guernsey over to Dunstan.[2] Soon afterwards, Dunstan signed a contract extension, keeping him at the Saints until 2017.
Dunstan turned his back on a potential move home to South Australia after playing an important role in the Saints' climb to ninth in 2016. The 22-year-old averaged 17 disposals from 18 games in 2016, before being forced to undergo his second shoulder reconstruction in three years – but this time to his opposite (left) shoulder.[3]
In 2017, Dunstan signed a two-year contract extension with St Kilda to remain at the club until the end of 2019.[4]
At the conclusion of the 2021 AFL season, Dunstan moved to Melbourne as an unrestricted free agent.[5] The move was documented in the Stan series Show Me The Money.[6]
^The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
^2022 statistics include one game in which Dunstan was a used medical substitute (round 11) and one game in which he was an unused medical substitute (round 18).