IN TRANSFERRING from Greater Western Sydney to Melbourne, Dom Tyson has not exactly swapped a Valiant for a Ferrari.
Although the 20-year-old insists he is "very excited" to be a Demon, he has joined a club that has won only six games in its past two seasons.
Yet this is the time of year when anything seems possible, and during his first press conference as a Melbourne player, Tyson was thinking big.
Asked if he thought the Dees, now led by Paul Roos, were likely to spend another year on the lower rungs of the ladder, he responded by saying: "I guess you can't really say stuff like that anymore, watching what Port Adelaide were able to do this year.
"I guess that was a side blessed with not many injuries, so if we can stay pretty fit, get Mitch Clark on track … you never know what we could be capable of."
Tyson has swapped the AFL's youngest club for its oldest, although he's well aware that the red and blue faithful haven't celebrated a premiership since 1964.
"Obviously it's a great history," he said. "I know they haven't won a flag for a few years, and there's probably been a few tough times recently, but that's just something you've got to deal with."
Tyson and former Adelaide player Bernie Vince, who also joined Melbourne last week, will be key additions to the Demons' midfield for the 2014 season.
They have been earmarked to not only get the job done on the field, but to help develop the skills of emerging players like Jimmy Toumpas as well.
"It's exciting that we've got a young group now that can hopefully take the Dees up the ladder," Tyson said.
"I know a few young boys here, so it's exciting to think we could come through and play some good footy together and hopefully be part of something pretty special."
Tyson has left behind a club struggling to make an impact on and off the field, but he has no doubt that Greater Western Sydney will become a force in the not too distant future.
"They've done a pretty good job up there, I reckon," he said. "To have 10,000 members in their second year is a pretty good effort.
"Skoda Stadium is really good stadium to play at, so they'll be fine.
"They've obviously got some great young talent, so I'll watch them with a lot of interest in the years to come."
