MIDFIELDER Dom Tyson says Sunday’s dramatic three-point loss to Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval was a bittersweet performance.
On a day where Port Adelaide great Dom Cassisi played his last AFL match before retiring, it was another Dom – of the Tyson variety – who was one of Melbourne’s best with 32 disposals and two goals.
Tyson said it was a fine effort to come back from a 30-point deficit in the second term and then lead by three points at the 21-minute mark of the final term.
But when Jay Schulz kicked the match-winner at the 26-minute mark for the Power, the home side won an absolute thriller.
Tyson said to go from regaining the lead to losing it again was a tough pill to swallow.
“Definitely, because it feels like we’ve missed an opportunity to just really bank a good win,” he told Dee TV.
“We’ve just let one slip there, so it probably hasn’t sunk in for the boys – everyone is pretty flat, so we’ll regroup. We’ve got a bye next week and we’ll have a good session on Wednesday, and then have a break and then attack it the next week.
“It’ll definitely be one that got away. It felt like we controlled the game in the second half – and to get in front in the last quarter. Credit to Port Adelaide … [Jay] Schulz kicked a goal from a tight angle, but it just feels like one we lost, rather than [a match] they won,” he said.
Tyson said Melbourne’s ability to respond with six goals in a row – after Port Adelaide booted half a dozen in succession against the Demons earlier in the match – was a testament to his team’s character.
“We were matching it with them inside, which gave us a chance to get back in the contest and we started putting the score on the board there,” he said.
“We kept them to 10 goals for the match and just three goals in the second half, so there is a positive there. Our defence was good and we were able to put a score [on the board] and test them offensively, which was good.
“At the end of the day, we’ve lost the game and it’s one of those ones we’ll look back on this week and the end of the year and really rue our opportunity.”
Tyson, who put the Demons in front with his second major at the 21-minute mark of the final term, said he “didn’t really look at the clock”, once he kicked truly.
“There were four or five minutes left, so it definitely wasn’t going to be enough, so we knew we had to stick to what we’d done to get us in front,” he said.
“Unfortunately, we just had a 30-second patch, where they took the ball from one end to the other and Schulz kicked a good goal, so it just shows you that you can’t back off against anyone – if you’re on top.
“They’re a good side and they’re going to play finals footy this year, so we can take the positives that we matched it [with them], but it just feels like we’ve let one slip.”
Although Tyson was a star for the Demons, he preferred to praise his midfield group.
“It felt like, as a midfield group, that we were on top of them,” he said.
“Chunk (Nathan Jones) was good inside, Riles (Aidan Riley) when he was on [was good], [Jack] Viney attacked it hard and Bernie [Vince] played a good team role. [Kane] Cornes went to him. So it felt like we had a good look in there and we were able to get our hands on the ball and generate some forward opportunities.
“It felt like it was a good step forward and we hadn’t had our hands on the ball for a month or so, so it was good to get us in the game … [but] at the same time, you’d prefer to win.”
