Dom Tyson

Early life

Tyson played his junior career with the Camberwell Junior Football Club and was recognised as a talented player at a young age by representing Victoria in the under-12 championships in 2005. He attended and played school football for Trinity Grammar School. After missing out on state selection for the under-16 Victoria Metro side in 2009, queries were raised over his pace and ability to be more than an inside-midfielder. He was recruited by the Oakleigh Chargers as a bottom-aged player in 2010 to play in the TAC Cup, playing 14 games for the season.

Tyson was elected the captain for Oakleigh in 2011 and led the team to a grand final for the first time since 2006, but ultimately lost to the Sandringham Dragons by eight points. He received mid-year state honours by representing Victoria Metro at the 2011 AFL Under 18 Championships, and played in the winning final against Victoria Country; his season was rewarded with All-Australian selection as the ruck-rover. He raised his draft chances in his final year after expanding his game beyond being just an inside-midfielder and was labelled a "complete midfielder" by Oakleigh Chargers coach, Greg Doyle. After drawing comparisons to Simon Black and Jimmy Bartel, he was predicted to be drafted inside the top-five in the weeks leading to the 2011 AFL draft.

2012–2013: Early career at Greater Western Sydney

Tyson was recruited by Greater Western Sydney with their third selection and third overall in the 2011 national draft. He debuted in round the opening round of the 2012 season against Sydney at ANZ Stadium in which he started as the substitute. He was the round 23 nomination for the Rising Star after the twenty-eight point loss to North Melbourne at Škoda Stadium, where he recorded twenty-six disposals, seven clearances, five marks and a goal. He managed ten games in his debut season after suffering from leg and back injuries for a majority of the season. In October, speculation arose that he would move to the Richmond Football Club after they expressed interest in securing a trade for him, after stating he would be open to a move back to Melbourne, he ultimately stayed with Greater Western Sydney.

The start to Tyson's 2013 season was delayed after he tore his posterior cruciate ligament during the off-season, and played his first match for the season in May with Greater Western Sydney's reserves side in the North East Australian Football League (NEAFL). He managed three senior games for 2013, and after thirteen matches in total for Greater Western Sydney, he was traded to the Melbourne Football Club in October, despite being contracted until the end of 2015. He cited the opportunity to return home to Victoria as the key reason for the move, and was lauded by Melbourne coach, Paul Roos, as an "absolute superstar in the making".

2014–present: Move to Melbourne

Tyson's first season at Melbourne saw him play senior football consistently for the first time in his career, playing all matches for the season, despite suffering a finger injury in round nine, which resulted in end of season surgery. He received high praise during the season, especially for his performances against Richmond in round 9, and both matches against Port Adelaide in rounds 11 and 18. He acknowledged the reason for his improved season was due to moving home to Victoria and having a more settled environment. His season was rewarded with a second-place finish in the Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medal, finishing behind Nathan Jones, and he received eleven votes in the Brownlow Medal count, the most for any player recruited in the 2011 draft; he was also awarded the Harold Ball Memorial Trophy as Melbourne's best young player.

Tyson played in the first seven matches of the 2015 season before succumbing to a knee injury, which was initially injured in the round four match against Richmond. He returned to the senior side in round 11 for the two point loss against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium, playing every match until the round 19 loss against North Melbourne – which was also his 50th AFL match – before missing the remainder of the season with a hamstring injury. In what was described as a frustrating and inconsistent season by Tyson, he managed fifteen matches and finished thirteenth in the best and fairest count.

After playing the first eight matches of the 2016 season, Tyson was forced to miss the sixty-three point win against the Brisbane Lions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in round nine after he was a late withdrawal due to illness. He returned the next week for the forty-five point loss against Port Adelaide at TIO Traeger Park and he did not miss a match for the remainder of the season. He played his fiftieth match for the club in the twenty-two point loss against Adelaide at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in round thirteen. His performance in the twenty-nine point win against Hawthorn at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in round 20 received praise from then-Melbourne coach, Paul Roos who described his performance as "elite", where Tyson recorded thirty disposals, thirteen contested possessions, a game-high eleven score involvements and two goals. His form continually improved throughout the season, which saw him named in the AFL Media team of the week three times, and his "huge improvement" during the season was also a catalyst for Melbourne's rise on the ladder, according to Fox Sports Australia journalist, Anna Harrington. His performances in the season saw him finish fourth in Melbourne's best and fairest count. Despite being contracted until the end of the 2017 season, he signed a contract extension in September, tying him to the club until the end of 2019.

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