Football: Transition pays off for Dunn

THAT WAS THEN: Rotorua United's Forrest Dunn in his goalkeeping days.

Making the transition from one position to another in a team is always going to need some adjustment.

It is also likely to take time.

But for Rotorua United teenager Forrest Dunn, the move from goalkeeper to defender has been seamless.

He has made such a success of the move that he has been put forward by the club for the WaiBOP Premiership Player of the Year award.

It was coach Ian Walker's call to bring Dunn out of goal into a right-sided defensive role at the start of the season.

''I just saw something in him that I thought would make him a good outfield player, and he was outstanding,'' said Walker.

The plan was, if regular first team goalkeeper Andrew Gibbs was injured or unavailable, Dunn would step in. But he proved himself to be such an invaluable part of the team as a defender, that when Gibbs was injured, Walker had to find another stand-in.

''He played right back for us, then centre back, wherever we asked him to play. He's got great pace - he was just one of those guys who wasn't a problem.

''No matter what you asked him to do, he just did it. He'd never played centre back before, but when I asked him he said 'yeah, that's cool, I'll play it' - and he just did so well.

''He gave everything. The amount of times he got across to make the last tackle and things like that were amazing.''