Luke Dahlhaus, 30, finishes his career with 225 games to his name across 12 seasons with the Western Bulldogs and Geelong.
Luke Dahlhaus : Retire | Geelong | Contract | Partner
Dahlhaus is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club and Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL).
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Luke Dahlhaus | ||
| Date of birth | 21 August 1992 | ||
| Original team(s) | Geelong Falcons (TAC Cup) | ||
| Draft | No. 22, 2011 rookie draft | ||
| Debut | Round 12, 2011, Western Bulldogs vs. St Kilda, at Etihad Stadium |
||
| Height | 177 cm (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Weight | 78 kg (172 lb) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder / forward | ||
He received a nomination for the 2011 AFL Rising Star award in round 21 of the 2011 season. Dahlhaus was a member of the Bulldogs team that won the premiership in 2016, the Bulldogs’ first in 62 years.
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 League.
Retire
Dahlhaus, 30, finishes his career with 225 games to his name across 12 seasons with the Western Bulldogs and Geelong, after being selected by the Dogs with pick No.70 in the 2011 NAB AFL Rookie Draft.
He was a key part of the Dogs’ 2016 drought-breaking premiership team, having developed into a high-pressure midfielder.
Dahlhaus left the Bulldogs for Geelong at the end of 2018 as a free agent, where he played 71 games over four seasons, but just 10 in 2022.
“I feel very lucky and honoured to have played at two amazing football clubs over 12 years and made friends that I will have for life,” Dahlhaus said.
“Thank you to everyone that has supported me along the way.”
Geelong football boss Simon Lloyd said Dahlhaus had been an important part of the club in his four years at the Cattery.
“Luke has had an exceptional career across two clubs, and we’ve been very fortunate to have him here in Geelong over the last four seasons,” Lloyd said.
“On the field, he often set the tone for our group with his determination and team-first mentality, but he was equally important off the field, where his enthusiasm for teammates and his kind and giving nature made him one of the most popular members of our club.”
Dahlhaus’ departure follows the retirement of four-time premiership star and captain, Joel Selwood, on Wednesday. Quinton Narkle, Nick Stevens, Zane Williams, Paul Tsapatolis and Francis Evans have also been delisted.
Luke Dahlhaus Geelong
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 Williamstown in the reserves side, but was soon promoted to the senior side, with coach Peter German noting his aggression and enthusiasm.
| Club information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Current club | Geelong | ||
| Number | 40 | ||
In round 21 Dahlhaus earned a nomination for the 2011 AFL Rising Star.
Dahlhaus had a mostly inconsistent season throughout 2013 but played one of his best games in his career in Round 18 against West Coast at Etihad Stadium which he kicked 4 goals and picked up 29 disposals, the dogs won the game.
In November it was announced that Dahlhaus had agreed to a contract extension with the Bulldogs and had also been upgraded to the senior list.
During 2015, he had a strong, consistent season and was one of the favourites for the Best and Fairest which was won by Easton Wood.
In 2016, Dalhaus won the Rose–Sutton Medal in the match against Collingwood.
At the end of the 2018 season, Dahlhaus signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Geelong Cats.
Luke Dahlhaus Contract
Luke Dahlhaus will become a Geelong player, after the Cats lodged paperwork to secure the unrestricted free agent.
Paperwork was lodged on Friday to ensure Dahlhaus could join Geelong on a four-year deal.
“Luke is a player that we identified as being able to come in and make an impact on our team,” Geelong’s general manager of football Simon Lloyd said.
“A high performing player at AFL level for many years, Luke has the ability to play a number of positions on the ground and take the game on.
“After achieving a premiership with the Bulldogs, Luke has experienced football at the highest level and we look forward to him bringing his experience to our playing group.”
Dahlhaus told the Western Bulldogs in September of his wish to move on from the club as an unrestricted free agent.
The 26-year-old has played 154 games for the Western Bulldogs, including as an important part of their premiership-winning midfield in 2016.
But he struggled to influence the game as much in 2018, averaging 21 disposals a game and kicking just two goals before injuring his ankle in round 18.
Partner
AFL star Luke Dahlhaus has taken time out from his end of season overseas holiday to bite back at criticism from former Western Bulldogs teammate and captain Bob Murphy.
It comes after Murphy recently publicly questioned the departing Bulldogs midfielder’s lack of motivation in the two seasons since the club won the 2016 premiership- its first in 62 years.
It sparked a war of words in a series of Instagram posts from Dahlhaus on Sunday.
Murphy singled out Dahlhaus’ form in recent seasons during an SEN radio earlier this month.
‘I think a few of them, in 2017, took their eye off the ball,’ Murphy said.
‘I think Luke would put his hand up to say that he maybe wasn’t as dedicated or hungry as he’d been the years before. He still does play like that, but the last two years, it’s been shaded a little bit and not what it was.’