This would only be for his first year but here are some points

- He has the engine to go with the best in the AFL.

- Has the capacity to find his own ball in tight situations

- Possess the commitment and competiveness to ensure he does a good job

- Would be a great learning experience in discovering what it takes to be the best in

the AFL

- If Dunn is going to take permenant position on the forward line we don't really have a

stopper apart from junior mac

This would only be for his first year but here are some points

- He has the engine to go with the best in the AFL.

- Has the capacity to find his own ball in tight situations

- Possess the commitment and competiveness to ensure he does a good job

- Would be a great learning experience in discovering what it takes to be the best in

the AFL

- If Dunn is going to take permenant position on the forward line we don't really have a

stopper apart from junior mac

Wont have the body strength.

That's not the stupidest thing ever, and I think at least in terms of training and development he will certainly run with half a dozen players this year. I know Jones did this and it seemed to have worked well.

I think it was Hannabal that said no-one should recruit a player based on his tagging credentials. Tagging is a job that should be given to player who has failed to become a consistent attacking footballer. ie, if your kick sucks, or you lose a yard due to injury or whatever, then tagging is a good backup plan. There are exceptions, like Ling at the cats, but I reckon there's some truth in it anyway.

I don't mean to suggest you're putting him up as a full-time tagger in the future. #1 draft picks don't get recruited for that job. But in 2010, sure. Why not?

I'd like to see him run with the obvious big names like Ablett, Judd etc... But maybe there's some that play a similar game to him he could run with? Black would be a good one for mine. Murphy? Power? Hayes?

You have a player who is a natural ball winner and effective user with a huge tank with the prospect of being an elite midfielder and there is a call to have him as a tagger! Good grief.

I am not sure Dunn is going forward and IMO is fighting to justify himself in the best 22.

- He has the engine to go with the best in the AFL.

- Has the capacity to find his own ball in tight situations

- Possess the commitment and competiveness to ensure he does a good job

More likely to find himself TAGGED. Or is your suggestion a negative way to negate this possibility?

If Scully became a tagger, that would be the worst possible outcome. He has the arsenal to become our most damaging weapon, not a negator. All midfielders are required to play defensively at times, he can use the attributes above for that.

I need to lie down.

Surely not. We need ball winners.

Do you want to scar the boy for life?

The suggestion was only for this year and would only be for a couple of games. You are right we don't pick number 1's to be taggers. But we should ensure that they obtain the best development and expirence espically in their first year and this, in my opinion, could form part of his development.

He doesn't need to tag players to learn how the best go about it, he already knows how they go about it and he's working to take that to another level. I say set the kid free to damage the opposition. Players of Scully's ability learn through observation and hard work, not to mention he has that extra couple of percent in sheer determination to succeed. We're all sitting back in awe of Trengove's game on Saturday some even suggesting he shouldh've gone number 1. A fully fit Scully with a few preseason's under his belt will be the best player at this club if not in the AFL.

Let him develope at his own pace into the player he is, an elite running midfielder... he has not been known as a tagger in his junior career and i see no reason to change someone with such hard working natural ability

Bryce Gibbs played a lot of footy off a half back flank/back pocket in his first year at Carlton. People routinely criticised Pagan for it but Gibbs is going along pretty nicely at the moment. If Scully's best role in the team is as a tagger, then I'm happy for him to play there in the short term. But I'm not sure it will be.

Good, constructive suggestion Strawbs!

This season is all about development. I reckon both Scully and Trengove will learn a lot more by playing on the game's elite mid-fielders than getting a bag of outside possessions on the wing.

Their tagging role does not need to be week in, week out, just for periods in selected games when we up against the likes of Ablett, Judd, Kerr and Cooney.

I'm sure Bailey will give him some run withs at stages throughout games this year. As part of his development.

Just glad he won't be lining up at full back, which he might have done in the last few rounds of last year.

I wouldn't mind seeing Cam Bruce used as a tagger. He's rarely beaten one on one, has a massive tank and could be an effective attacking negator, if that makes any sense.

Didn't hurt Gibbs did it? (He's one of the few CFC midfielders who runs both ways)

I expect both Trengove and Sculldog to be matched up on the league's best midfielders this year. It's all part of their development, learning about what work rate is required aswell as improving their accountibillity throughout the middle of the ground. We can't have a midfield which doesn't run the other way.

Bryce Gibbs played a lot of footy off a half back flank/back pocket in his first year at Carlton. People routinely criticised Pagan for it but Gibbs is going along pretty nicely at the moment. If Scully's best role in the team is as a tagger, then I'm happy for him to play there in the short term. But I'm not sure it will be.

I was thinking of Gibbs and Murphy too. They too had to have stints as a tagger. That was partly to take pressure off being tagged themselves but mainly because Pagan identified their non existent defensive side. They were prolific in u18 that they never had to be accountable.

Scully works both ways. Nothing to learn there. Go Head to head.

Edited February 17, 201015 yr by jacey

What reasons do you need to play Scully as a tagger?

1- To teach him the defensive side of the game? No, because he already works both ways.

2- To teach him AFL work rate? No, because he probably works harder than most AFL players anyway.

3- To teach him how to win the footy? I haven't seen anything yet that tells me that ball winning ability is the slightest issue.

I agree that he'd be a good tagger, because he's an amazing runner, dedicated and wins the contested ball well, but why would you want to play him there unless it is to teach him a specific lesson? It's like played Chris Judd as a tagger, or Nick Riewoldt as a defensive full back - sure they'd be good at it but it's a complete waste.

In my opinion Scully should be played in a few positions this year to help the step up to the AFL. A little like, as previously mentioned, like Gibbs at his first year the blues. I wouldn’t be surprised that he might play a run with role in small stints with people like Judd and Harvey etc. But I doubt that he could match their harden bodies and strength for long periods. Just to get a taste of what is needed. But I doubt he will go into game after game as a tagger.

I really hope he spends a fair bit of time on the wing and around stoppages as his run and ability to get the pill will be highlighted.

I think this guy will make other people around him look good. Not your flashy star but a guy who gets the ball into the hands of the right people at the right time.

I can’t tell you how excited I am about this kid. He has his head on straight, sounds like a hard worker and is ready to play footy.

Go Dees

What reasons do you need to play Scully as a tagger?

1- To teach him the defensive side of the game? No, because he already works both ways.

2- To teach him AFL work rate? No, because he probably works harder than most AFL players anyway.

3- To teach him how to win the footy? I haven't seen anything yet that tells me that ball winning ability is the slightest issue.

I agree that he'd be a good tagger, because he's an amazing runner, dedicated and wins the contested ball well, but why would you want to play him there unless it is to teach him a specific lesson? It's like played Chris Judd as a tagger, or Nick Riewoldt as a defensive full back - sure they'd be good at it but it's a complete waste.

Too much sense!

The only thing in common with Scully and Gibbs is they were both talented and both No 1s. However, Gibbs defensive skills were not as well honed as Scully's and there are aspects he needed to learn.

For something novel, why dont we get Scully to develop his strengths further? I trust the MFC coaches have this in my mind.

I think this guy will make other people around him look good. Not your flashy star but a guy who gets the ball into the hands of the right people at the right time.

So we would you bury him out on the wing away from the main action?

You have a player who is a natural ball winner and effective user with a huge tank with the prospect of being an elite midfielder and there is a call to have him as a tagger! Good grief.

I am not sure Dunn is going forward and IMO is fighting to justify himself in the best 22.

AGREE TOTALLY

So we would you bury him out on the wing away from the main action?

Yes, He has room to use his leg speed and other than the centre bounce he could be around nearly every stoppage (unless it is near the bookends)

Wing is not a bad place for him to start, with occasional runs in the guts, that’s until he takes his place in the middle wearing the red and blue for the next 15 years.

So where would you play him rhino?

Edited February 18, 201015 yr by Rocknroll

So where would you play him rhino?

Guess!

Play him on the ball and watch as he becomes one of the games greats. I have to pinch myself at the thought of Scully playing in red and blue alongside the likes of Watts, Trengove, Grimes, Blease and Morton. That my friends is called a Premeirship top 6.

Tagger ?

No.

Plug 'n Play for young Scully. Plug'n Play.