The number three selection in the 2011 National Draft will begin a new
chapter of his AFL career at the Melbourne Football Club. Tyson one of multiple
midfielders to join the club in the off-season, an area that has been a clear
weakness for the Dees for many years.
Also joining Melbourne is of course master coach Paul Roos, who
seemingly has high hopes for not only the club but also the young midfielder.
Roos speaks extremely highly of Tyson, labelling him “an absolute superstar in
the making” – no pressure Dom – but that is immense praise for a man with just
13 games to his name.
Tyson sits at a near bargain basement price given his hapless run of
injuries throughout his short career thus far, which makes him relatively hard
to get a gauge on, but if we break down his numbers, they read much better than
just at a first glance.
In 2012 he averaged 55.8, but upon closer inspection, he had three sub
affected matches, taking away these scores his average bumps up to a more
respectable 73.2. While in the final three matches of 2012, once he returned
from injury, he averaged 22.3 possessions, 6.3 marks and nearly three tackles a
game – not bad for a first year player.
Looking at his junior numbers, Tyson averaged 26 touches, 4.5
clearances, 4.7 tackles and an impressive 116 SC points over ten matches for the
Oakleigh Chargers. As for the under 18 championships, he played five matches
representing Vic Metro, racking up 23 disposals per match, half of which were
contested, 5.2 clearances, 3.6 tackles and a whopping 132 SC points. It’s these
sorts of numbers that made him an elite junior and in turn a high draft pick.
Leading the AFL Prospectus’s Fantasy Freako to say “I expect him to absolutely
dominate fantasyland in 3-4 years”.
It is clear Tyson has all the attributes and plenty of potential, the
move to Melbourne will no doubt benefit him and given an injury free pre-season,
I think we will see what he is truly capable of. There will be plenty of
opportunity through the Demons midfield and under the tutelage of Paul Roos;
Tyson will be one of many youngsters at the club who will have career best
seasons. At his price tag he is a must, the potential reward is huge. I think
Tyson has the ability to average somewhere in the 80-85 bracket, a prospect that
will make him one of the most popular and valuable players selected in
SuperCoach 2014.