DOM Tyson says the next three weeks will be “a tough block” for his side, but it’s a challenge he can’t wait to tackle.
After easily accounting for Gold Coast Suns by 96 points at the MCG on Sunday, Tyson said the Sydney Swans at the MCG next Sunday, followed by the West Coast Eagles at Optus Stadium in round 22 and GWS Giants at the MCG in the final home and away round of the season, would be a big test for the club, as he pushes for its finals series since 2006.
“We haven’t beaten them (Sydney) for a while, and I watched the game last night and they looked really good at times. It’s going to take our best, but we’re confident,” he told Melbourne Media.
“I feel like our best footy can match it with anyone, so it’s the right time of the year to be playing some good footy. We’re not home or anything yet – we’re not saying ‘we’re in the top eight and let’s pack up shop’.
“We’ve got to make sure we win next week as well.”
Tyson had 27 disposals to be one of Melbourne’s best.
“I felt all right out there today,” he said.
“There was some good chemistry from the midfielders. Maxy [Gawn] had a tough ruck opponent in big Wittsy (Jarrod Witts), who has been going pretty well for them.
“’Clarry (Clayton Oliver) got his hands on it, Jonesy (Nathan Jones) and Harmesy (James Harmes) had really good games and [Angus] Brayshaw as well, so there is a good mix in there at the moment. Everyone is getting a lick of the ice-cream at times.”
Tyson said it was pleasing to win each term to set-up the comprehensive victory.
“It was a good win and pretty much a four-quarter performance,” he said.
“A lot of guys played a good brand of footy and I think we were plus-30 at quarter-time for contested footy, which was a focus going into the game, because we saw what they did against the Swans a couple of weeks ago.
“We knew that their best was going to be pretty good, but we were able to knock them around a bit in the first quarter, which set the game up for us.”
Although Melbourne won by almost 100 points, Tyson said there were still areas of the red and blue’s game it could improve on.
“You don’t look at the scoreboard too much, because you reset and you go again at the start of the second quarter,” he said.
“To be honest, we were a little bit sloppy with ball use at times going inside 50. Our defence could’ve been better – I know it was a 96-point win – but there is plenty that we can improve on.
“The messaging from the coaches was that we’ve still ‘we’ve got a brand of footy [we want to play], so park the first quarter and go again and go again’. We didn’t shut up shop after quarter-time.”
