Ryan’s mood lifted by return of Flynn

Maybe it was the half-hour or so he took to put the subs through the drills after the final whistle but Jason Ryan was at least able to resort to humour by the time he got round to sharing his thoughts on being sucker-punched.

“Has anyone got a Kleenex?” he joked after a game in which his largely young and inexperienced side led their visitors from the second minute until the 73rd.

His mood must have been improved by the sight, shortly before that killer third goal, of young Daryl Flynn ambling on to the St Conleth’s Park pitch for the first time since his recent and unexpected return home from life in the AFL with Port Adelaide.