Scully as a Tagger?

[e25 5]

Tagger ?

No.

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

PLUG N PLAY BABY!!

Couldn't have said it better HT

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

5-ish years ago we were all sure McLean, Garland, Jones, Sylvia, Rivers, Bate, Davey, Johnstone and Miller would be All-Australian/champion types. At this moment in time none of them have been near it, yet.

I don't know how we have the nerve to make the same predictions of Scully, 'Gove, Watts, Jurrah, Morton, Frawley, Grimes etc

[Hobbits's 17]

I don't know how we have the nerve to make the same predictions of Scully, 'Gove, Watts, Jurrah, Morton, Frawley, Grimes etc

Who has made those All Australian predictions for the players listed ? Bit early.

Come to think of it I have read a few comments that Frawley will get AA. He is far from it at present.

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

Who has made those All Australian predictions for the players listed ? Bit early.

Are you serious? Every second comment on this board is talking up Scully and Trengove as if they are certainties for it... like in this very thread for example... last week it was Trengove 'best since Flower, will be as good as Judd' etc

[e25 5]

To be honest, I think Scully will be the posterchild for a team we are building that is not just great with footskills, but also sure by hand.

One of Geelong's greatest assets in their past 3 dominant seasons has been composure under intense pressure, and that has come by cleanly moving the ball around until they get it to an open player who can move it forward and find a target.

Grimes continues to impress me the way he ALWAYS gets his hands free with the ball when tackled.

Scully I take as read. Trengove is no slouch either by hand.

[Rogue 585]

5-ish years ago we were all sure McLean, Garland, Jones, Sylvia, Rivers, Bate, Davey, Johnstone and Miller would be All-Australian/champion types. At this moment in time none of them have been near it, yet.

Speak for yourself!

[Hobbits's 17]

To be honest, I think Scully will be the posterchild for a team we are building that is not just great with footskills, but also sure by hand.

One of Geelong's greatest assets in their past 3 dominant seasons has been composure under intense pressure, and that has come by cleanly moving the ball around until they get it to an open player who can move it forward and find a target.

Grimes continues to impress me the way he ALWAYS gets his hands free with the ball when tackled.

Scully I take as read. Trengove is no slouch either by hand.

Yes, in relation to Geelong, you think of the Enright's, Ling's, Ablett's, Bartel's and Corey's they are all very good by hand and creating space for one another with precision use of the ball. Then the is the Mackie's, Chapman's, Kelly's who aren't far behind with their disposal efficiency.

When you compare there handballing in close to the likes of Moloney, Jones, McDonald, etc in the past. The difference is efficiency and much greater level of skill.

Edited February 18, 2010 by Grimes to Watts

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

5-ish years ago we were all sure McLean, Garland, Jones, Sylvia, Rivers, Bate, Davey, Johnstone and Miller would be All-Australian/champion types. At this moment in time none of them have been near it, yet.

I don't know how we have the nerve to make the same predictions of Scully, 'Gove, Watts, Jurrah, Morton, Frawley, Grimes etc

Were we????

I think your making it up. There might have been some naive posters that had possibly McLean and TJ there but others I dont think so.

The expectations on Scully, Trengove, Morton and Watts to be 200 game plus players who individually become very good to elite is a reasonable expectation. Frawley Grimes all have reasonable potential and Jurrah...could be anything.

So if our last AA in 2006 Junior McDonald can make the AA team then why the hell cant each of these young players over the course of their hopefully long and successful MFC career.

And if you cant be excited about our current crop of players and see this should really be a better side than we have had for the past 10 years at least then life must be pretty sour for you indeed.

[4jacks 0]

Grimes continues to impress me the way he ALWAYS gets his hands free with the ball when tackled.

Scully I take as read. Trengove is no slouch either by hand.

Second that, at the praccy last week I remember Grimes grabbing a contested ball in mid-air and doing this little shake thing, while still in the air, so as to avoid being tackled. At that point there was in fact no-one near him, and it was a tiny and instinctive thing, but it had the hallmarks of a champion in the making.

[H_T 3,043]

Every second comment on this board is talking up Scully and Trengove as if they are certainties for it... like in this very thread for example...

Where ?

[beelzebub 23,313]

Were we????

I think your making it up. There might have been some naive posters that had possibly McLean and TJ there but others I dont think so.

The expectations on Scully, Trengove, Morton and Watts to be 200 game plus players who individually become very good to elite is a reasonable expectation. Frawley Grimes all have reasonable potential and Jurrah...could be anything.

So if our last AA in 2006 Junior McDonald can make the AA team then why the hell cant each of these young players over the course of their hopefully long and successful MFC career.

And if you cant be excited about our current crop of players and see this should really be a better side than we have had for the past 10 years at least then life must be pretty sour for you indeed.

I know its a bit early in the year to be agreeing with you but that pretty well sums it up. Many I fear got a little carried away with the perpetuating hype surrounding some of our guys.

What Watts can and will be time only will tell. Trengove looks the goods right out of the box..( thankyou so much Jordan ) We already know Liam is destined for celestial status and Scully has all the ingredients to cement himself into the next Demon team of lore.

Half a dozen or so 2-3 year players will it seems be likely to take the next step...and all this bodes well.

I think we supporters ought to just take heart that the powers that be at MFc are taking a longer term approach and not looking for instant gratification.

If these guys that are touted as the next best things only climb to half their potential we we still have a very servicable team.

[Daz's Dee's 113]

5-ish years ago we were all sure McLean, Garland, Jones, Sylvia, Rivers, Bate, Davey, Johnstone and Miller would be All-Australian/champion types. At this moment in time none of them have been near it, yet.

I don't know how we have the nerve to make the same predictions of Scully, 'Gove, Watts, Jurrah, Morton, Frawley, Grimes etc

Who's too say that Garland, Jones, Sylvia, Rivers and Bate won't become All Australians. Mclean may too? Johnstone and Miller unlikely! I am sure the Geelong fans had high hopes at the start of the decade that alot of there players would reach potential and become All Australians. We have rebuilt just like they did and who know were we may be in 5 yrs time

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

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.

That suggestion managed to float comfortably over the head of the first 5 or so replies. Spectacular.

I reckon the club will be going hell for leather to try to win as many of the first six as they can. If we're 0-6, you can bet we'll change tack and look solely to development again. At this point, if Scully is earning his place in the side, I absolutely think he'll end up running with a player or two. And by run with, I mean run with. Actual genuine tagging in the in-your-face sense is probably a bit beyond him at his age.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Bailey has already he said that MFC are going to continue to get games into younger players. I dont think there is any reality they will punt the horses for the first six rounds givne the LT needs of the list.

Scully is a natural ball winner with a huge tank so why would he be earning his place as a tagger? I would have thought it would be more beneficial to develop his natural solid gamestyle rather than negatiing.

[Je Roos Salem 661]

I don't agree.

Scully's an in and under player who wins his own ball, and extracts it out of packs superbly.

[Oliver Hill 0]

Are you serious? Every second comment on this board is talking up Scully and Trengove as if they are certainties for it... like in this very thread for example... last week it was Trengove 'best since Flower, will be as good as Judd' etc

I'm very happy to go out on a limb when it comes to Trengove. I saw Flower's career and a young Gerard Healy. I saw Lyon, Schwarz, Neitz, Stynes and Viney all kick things off. I saw Trengove only get 15 possessions at the u/18 championships last year at the Dome, but knew I was watching a star in the making. I've since seen him train, as well as last Saturday's intraclub. I also watched him (whilst streaming the net) in the PF and GF for Sturt last year. Despite your protestations, I'm not prone to exageration. Trengove is the best young talent I've seen at the club since Flower. Now you can think I'm "jumping the gun", "going early", talking "piffle", or any other suggestion, especially in your overly excited way of posting, I don't care.

I'm happy to make the judgment and let history decide.

[Tatu 416]

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.

Agree.

The way Scully plays reminds me of Paul Kelly from the Swans, hope he's as successful.

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

I'm very happy to go out on a limb when it comes to Trengove. I saw Flower's career and a young Gerard Healy. I saw Lyon, Schwarz, Neitz, Stynes and Viney all kick things off. I saw Trengove only get 15 possessions at the u/18 championships last year at the Dome, but knew I was watching a star in the making. I've since seen him train, as well as last Saturday's intraclub. I also watched him (whilst streaming the net) in the PF and GF for Sturt last year. Despite your protestations, I'm not prone to exageration. Trengove is the best young talent I've seen at the club since Flower. Now you can think I'm "jumping the gun", "going early", talking "piffle", or any other suggestion, especially in your overly excited way of posting, I don't care.

I'm happy to make the judgment and let history decide.

yes it was you I was discussing this with the other day, although not in any way was I "overly excited". I thought it was a reasonable discussion but when I returned 'the machine' had decided the conversation was just too 'edgy' to remain and was deleted... not sure why when nobody was breaking any kind of forum rule, I thought this was a free country, not communist China, but there you go.

I just look back at Daniher's side, over a decade our flagship players were more or less:

Neitz, White, Yze, Robbo, Macca, Whelan, Johnstone, Brown, Woewodin, Farmer, Bruce and Green

Now, that's a great group of players but the cold hard facts are that even the best of them were only A- type players and they didn't hold up that caliber for very long. That's why we could never get all the way because a team with genuine stars would always outgun us on the important days. If you compare them to the real stars of that era in Carey, Hird, Voss, Black, Buckley, Fletcher, Llyod, Cousins, Ricciuto etc they just don't get near it. It was a similar story for Lyon, Schwarz, the Lovetts, Stinger, Viney etc only Stynes with a Brownlow and four Blueys can claim to be a real champion, going all the way back 23 years to Flower... so I don't think anyone will argue with me when I assert our record for producing genuine stars is absolutely shocking.

This is where my angst at these type of "jumping the gun" (as you put it) calls comes from... as I mentioned earlier in the thread, we are still waiting for a whole bunch of current players to deliver on the prmise they showed and actually get themselves listed on an All-Australian side, and I'm tired of waiting

I'm not saying you are wrong about the 'Gove, because me claiming I know what he will or won't become is absurd at this stage. I respect your optimism, and obviously hope you are right, and that everyone else is right re: Jurrah, Watts, Scully, Morton, Frawley, Grimes etc. I myself would just prefer to see some real proof in the pudding before talking these blokes up so much

I hope to revisit this thread after a 2014-2016 triple premiership

[Swampfox 190]

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

You should always take advantage of a players strengths

Scully is a natural born ball winner with a engine to go all day and the best hands on a kid of his age i have ever seen

Playing him as a Tag is wasting what possesion we could have gotten and exatcly why he was picked in the first place

Please tell me you havent seen the quality hands of Tom Scully

IMO Rohan Bail who also has a huge engine would be better at that role

IMO Dunn is not in our best 22

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

Bailey has already he said that MFC are going to continue to get games into younger players. I dont think there is any reality they will punt the horses for the first six rounds givne the LT needs of the list.

Scully is a natural ball winner with a huge tank so why would he be earning his place as a tagger? I would have thought it would be more beneficial to develop his natural solid gamestyle rather than negatiing.

At the risk of sounding un-Australian (I have been away for a long time) I don't know what "punt the horses" means in that context. Or any context for that matter.

If you try, just this once RR, to read what the poster MEANT, you'll see that no-one's suggesting he earn his place as a tagger full time. The OP meant only to suggest it may be beneficial for Scully to follow the likes of Judd, who run all day to see what it takes at the top level.

We may find out that Judd holds him back. It could be true that Tom has a bigger engine than Chris, and if so, make an adjustment...

Disagree if you will (and we all know you will), but I don't see any problem putting a young kid on a superstar to show them what it takes. If only for a couple of games in 2010. It's been done in recent history and seems to have worked.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

At the risk of sounding un-Australian (I have been away for a long time) I don't know what "punt the horses" means in that context. Or any context for that matter.

I will keep it simple. If you think MFC are going for broke to win the first six games then why would they place a player who is a natural ball winner and user in a tagging role? Its incongruous. FWIW, I think MFC have more sense than to do either.

If you try, just this once RR, to read what the poster MEANT, you'll see that no-one's suggesting he earn his place as a tagger full time. The OP meant only to suggest it may be beneficial for Scully to follow the likes of Judd, who run all day to see what it takes at the top level.

I suggest you focus on your own foibles Dappa than allege some on others. I have never criticised that Scully would be tagging full time. I and other posters challenged the assertion that he be tagging at all. Given what is known about Scully as Axis of Bob has pointed out, he already demonstrates all the aspects you speak of. And if he is in the middle where he plays his best football then surely he is going to come up and contest against all the superstars of the competition. There can be times where it is beneficial for a footballer to be a tagging role (teach defensive skills, work rate, etc). But Scully does not have those weaknesses. So why wouldn't you get him to develop his obvious strengths as a footballer than pidgeon hole him based on a cliched developmental role where he demonstrates all the attributes.

[Oliver Hill 0]

I just look back at Daniher's side, over a decade our flagship players were more or less:

Neitz, White, Yze, Robbo, Macca, Whelan, Johnstone, Brown, Woewodin, Farmer, Bruce and Green

Now, that's a great group of players but the cold hard facts are that even the best of them were only A- type players and they didn't hold up that caliber for very long. That's why we could never get all the way because a team with genuine stars would always outgun us on the important days. If you compare them to the real stars of that era in Carey, Hird, Voss, Black, Buckley, Fletcher, Llyod, Cousins, Ricciuto etc they just don't get near it. It was a similar story for Lyon, Schwarz, the Lovetts, Stinger, Viney etc only Stynes with a Brownlow and four Blueys can claim to be a real champion, going all the way back 23 years to Flower... so I don't think anyone will argue with me when I assert our record for producing genuine stars is absolutely shocking.

I agree with everything in that paragraph. We're on the same page.

I try to be somewhat dispassionate about our past when judging fledgling talent, otherwise I'll end up on the "woe is me" path that is so typical of Melbourne supporters.

Have a look at Demonology. The "woe is me" brigade is in full force. They remind me of one of Dave Allen's old characters. I'm not happy about the last 40 years, but it is what it is and I have to have faith in the current direction because it's the right one. And I can't judge every present injury, or hurdle along the way by what has gone on previously, because they are separate entities governed by circumstance which has long evaporated.

[Roost It 1,434]

I just look back at Daniher's side, over a decade our flagship players were more or less:

Neitz, White, Yze, Robbo, Macca, Whelan, Johnstone, Brown, Woewodin, Farmer, Bruce and Green

If the above were all 21 or less would you swap them for:

Watts, Frawley, Scully, Jurrah, Trengove, Bennell, Grimes, Morton, Garland, Bate, Bruce and Green.

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

I agree with everything in that paragraph. We're on the same page.

I try to be somewhat dispassionate about our past when judging fledgling talent, otherwise I'll end up on the "woe is me" path that is so typical of Melbourne supporters.

Have a look at Demonology. The "woe is me" brigade is in full force. They remind me of one of Dave Allen's old characters. I'm not happy about the last 40 years, but it is what it is and I have to have faith in the current direction because it's the right one. And I can't judge every present injury, or hurdle along the way by what has gone on previously, because they are separate entities governed by circumstance which has long evaporated.

fair enough then

I think the 'woe is me' factor is increased by these huge expectations we put on the players, that they never meet. That's what i'm 'rebelling' against in this thread. Just let them play without saying they will dominate the comp for a decade etc it just builds everyone up for disappointment. People are already going sour on Watts for absolutely no reason. Look at Yze, Bruce and Robbo who copped it from all angles from their own supporter base because they couldn't meet the bar we set high for them

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

If the above were all 21 or less would you swap them for:

Watts, Frawley, Scully, Jurrah, Trengove, Bennell, Grimes, Morton, Garland, Bate, Bruce and Green.

I don't know, is that a better hand? We shall see