MIDFIELDER Dom Tyson says Melbourne’s frustrating 16-point loss to the Western Bulldogs at the MCG on Saturday night was a missed opportunity.
Tyson, who had an equal match-high 27 disposals, said it was quite simply the one that got away, after the Demons were in front by the narrowest of margins, 21 minutes into the final term.
“That’s exactly what it was [a missed opportunity],” he told Dee TV.
“To be in the game with a bit of momentum up until the 20-minute mark of the last quarter – and to go down like that was disappointing.
“It was one of those [matches] that you’ll look back on and say ‘that was the one that got away’. We can’t take back that last 10 minutes – we just lacked a bit of composure and gave them the opportunity to score from our turnovers. I had one there in the back pocket and missed Howey (Jeremy Howe) – we just needed to hold the ball up and back in our system.
“That opportunity Matt [Jones] had to score – that was a perfect bit of play through the middle and it was just disappointing, because we played solid football up until that point and we were in the game. They’re the ones we’ve got to start winning to keep building confidence and momentum.”
Tyson, who kicked an outstanding goal at the 16-minute mark of the final term to put the Demons up by a point, said his side should’ve capitalised on their momentum.
“We probably needed to kick another one straight after that and then build on that – but it’s not meant to be,” he said.
“They’re (the Western Bulldogs) an opposition and they’re going to [try and] win as well, so they put their guns blazing and in the last 10 or 12 minutes they played better footy and won the game.
“That’s what we’re going to have to live with – an opportunity to get four points and an opportunity to get a win in front of a pretty good crowd tonight, so it’s disappointing for the fans and disappointing for us.”
Tyson, who had also had a game-high 11 clearances, said he was pleased with his overall effort.
“I thought I was OK. I wasn’t happy with my last two or three kicks in the last quarter. I needed to do a lot more with the footy,” he said.
“I gave my chance to be in the game and contribute and hopefully influence the game in the moments that I wanted to.
