JACK Viney, who gained an impressive 21 disposals in his first match since round seven, says Melbourne squandered a gettable victory against the Brisbane Lions at TIO Stadium on Saturday night.

Viney, who was one of Melbourne’s best in his seventh AFL match, returned from a toe injury, which sidelined him for eight weeks.

Although rapt to be back among the thick of the action, Viney said he was frustrated by not helping the Demons gain their third win of the season. Instead, Melbourne went down by 19 points – its ‘best’ loss of the season.

“I thought we were in it the whole way, but the second quarter was what let us down, but I think the boys put up a good effort for the large majority of the game,” he told melbournefc.com.au.

“But it was a completely winnable game for us and if we want to be a successful team, they’re the games that you’ve got to win.

“It’s disappointing.”

Viney said last December’s pre-season camp and acclimatising to the Darwin conditions helped the Demons push the Lions for much of the match. 

“We came up on Tuesday, so getting as much time as possible really helps and I think that’s the reason we were so competitive [against the Lions],” he said.

“We made a lot of fumbles in the last quarter, which I thought hurt us, but in terms of being able to run and compete in that duress on your body, I think the boys are better off having done a pre-season camp [in Darwin].”