As of Saturday afternoon, Josh Dunkley is the first player in VFL/AFL history to win multiple premierships for teams that finished outside the Top 4.

Dunkley’s first AFL season in 2016 ended with him playing in the Western Bulldogs’ 2016 premiership, which they memorably won from 7th on the ladder after defeating the minor premier Sydney Swans in the Grand Final, with Dunkley being the youngest player in the team (19 years of age)…

And in 2024, Dunkley (Who moved to Brisbane after the 2022 season) played in the Brisbane Lions’ 2024 premiership, which they won from 5th after demolishing the minor premier Sydney Swans by 10 goals.

There’s only been 2 AFL premiers from outside the Top 4 in the 21st Century (Bulldogs 2016, Lions 2024), and Josh Dunkley featured in BOTH.

Dunkley also now features on the following unique lists:

Players to win premierships at multiple clubs (First entrant since Isaac Smith in 2022)

Players to play in a winning and losing Grand Final at multiple clubs (First entrant since Shaun Burgoyne in 2013)… Dunkley also played in the Bulldogs’ 2021 Grand Final defeat and Brisbane’s 2023 Grand Final defeat.

Players to defeat the same team in a Grand Final at multiple clubs (First entrant since Isaac Smith in 2022)

Players to play 27 games in a league season (Dunkley and 10 teammates matched John Cassin’s 1977 record with North Melbourne)

The ultimate irony of it all is that Dunkley’s father Andrew played 217 games for the Sydney Swans, and yet Josh wasn’t taken as a father/son when the chance was presented to Sydney in 2015, in part because his first preference was to go to a Melbourne club, his kicking skills were questioned, and the Swans needed the draft points to draft Callum Mills from their academy at Pick 3, allowing the Bulldogs to recruit him at Pick 25.

And, here’s another funny stat – Dunkley has more Grand Final wins against the Swans (2) than he’s kicked goals against the Swans (0)… the Swans are the only team Dunkley hasn’t kicked a goal against.