Wish you were right 45, but i don't think this will blow over...this particuliar situation also puts the whole draft process at risk...i do not see it as MFCSS at all.

Could you expand on that please?

It's a case of 1000+ journalists accredited by the AFL to cover football and there being no football to cover.

I sincerely hope this doesn't deteriorate into the Ablett vs Thompson vs Costa vs Cook vs GFC Members farce of 2011. I for one am proud to be a member of a club which doesn't waste column inches in such a way, just as we never see Davey or Green getting their drink on in down town Hong Kong - a bit OT, I know, sorry .

I posted this earlier in the thread, but i actually think we have kids to cover scully should he go. Does anyone think if he leaves we loose our premiership window?

I dont want him to leave, but we are the Melbourne Football Club and as such will survive either way.

So who broke this story??? Eddie McGuire. Any vested interest? Swan, Thomas, Pendlebury!

Look I'm not saying he's wrong, but I don't know if much changed between today and yesterday.

Could you expand on that please?

Why Bother having a draft at all, if the Top level can be just picked off at will-That is my main concern. If Scully went after 5 years service, i can almost cop that. But after just 2 years for the AFL to sanction that.

It absolutely stinks....

Everyone needs to settle down a bit. Yes, it would be a shame if we lost Scully, but all it is is speculation. I'm sure he'll be fantastic in season 2011 and it's such a shame that this is becoming a distraction, especially at this stage of the year.

I'm sure Tom will only decide for what's best for him. Let's just take it one season at a time. 2011, he's playing for us, he's gonna be a big part of a possible finals berth, and he is sure to be even better than last year. We are lucky to have such a talent on our team.

I posted this earlier in the thread, but i actually think we have kids to cover scully should he go. Does anyone think if he leaves we loose our premiership window?

Scull would be a big loss, theres no denying that. However, yes, I agree that we could adapt.

I think it's important to acknowledge that this isn't a one way street that we need to convince Scull to stay at a club with genuine finals and premiership prospects over the next 3-5 years.

Put another way, would Scully leaving MFC close/delay/diminish his premiership window?

I know this is all very presumptuous and he is still very young but GWS aren't an entirely known quantity yet, well not until NAB cup anyway.

Frankly, it's an extremely ugly scenario the AFL has produced. I remember seeing somewhere a former AFL player/coach saying the right thing to do would be keeping players who have been at a club for under 3 years exempt from the new teams' concessions. This is a prime example of why such a clause should have been evoked. It is ridiculous for a priority pick to be nabbed 15 months after being drafted. Imagine Judd being taken from West Coast or Hodge from Hawthorn after 2 seasons, that's the scenario with Scully and how much will be taken from the club. Taking a potential 15 year player, an elite one at that from a club that badly deserves one, after just 2 seasons, it's not right.

All up in the air right now as it will be until the next off-season, one can only hope this plays out the way it should...

Two points:

1) Melbourne picked up Jeff White after he only spent two years at Fremantle as a priority pick. Reverse situation, but very similar.

2) If Scully admitted that he was going to GWS half way through the year, should Melbourne continue to play him?

Scully a Dee

UPDATE 4.42pm: TOM Scully's manager says the young Demon has not signed with Greater Western Sydney

end of story....for now

capische !!

Frankly, it's an extremely ugly scenario the AFL has produced. I remember seeing somewhere a former AFL player/coach saying the right thing to do would be keeping players who have been at a club for under 3 years exempt from the new teams' concessions. This is a prime example of why such a clause should have been evoked. It is ridiculous for a priority pick to be nabbed 15 months after being drafted. Imagine Judd being taken from West Coast or Hodge from Hawthorn after 2 seasons, that's the scenario with Scully and how much will be taken from the club. Taking a potential 15 year player, an elite one at that from a club that badly deserves one, after just 2 seasons, it's not right.

All up in the air right now as it will be until the next off-season, one can only hope this plays out the way it should...

Absolutely Spot On Mate....This is what i wish Vlad to comment on. This clarification is how Vlad shall be remembered.

If Scully goes, then it will become a feeding frenzy each summer, as of next year...

Surely this can now be closed considering the statement made by Scullys manager?

Some [censored] on the radio blamed it on Jim Stynes!

If you heard that on SEN the caller was blaming all of the presidents, not Jim. He was saying that they all voted for the concessions given to these franchises

I don't see why we can't get close to any offer GWS makes.

First things first, they CANNOT offer Scully more than $1m per season. They do have extra in the cap, but their list size is also larger by about 16 players. Realistically, they are only going to be able to afford 1 superstar on about $1.5m (ala Ablett) + 6 or 7 others on around $500,000. If they take a different approach to GC Suns, and take a player from every list in the AFL, they'll have even less money to pay all those experienced players.

Plus, does anyone really think it would be wise for GWS to spent the money they have for 1 superstar on Scully? Sure he looks a jet, but he has deficiencies and hasn't had his break out yet. As if you wouldn't prefer a guy like Pendlebury or Swan?

Also, if anyone remember, we have been front loading contracts for 3 years now, in anticipation of this. We have over $1m spare in the cap.

It's my opinion that we could easily pay Scully $6-700,000 a year on a long term 5 year deal easily. We can afford it and he's worth it. $700,000 compared to $1m would not be worth moving for imo, when you consider all the other factors which say he should stay with melbourne.

He'll be a millionare whatever choice he makes

talk about dogs and bones

people...hes a Dermon

next

Two points:

1) Melbourne picked up Jeff White after he only spent two years at Fremantle as a priority pick. Reverse situation, but very similar.

The important difference being that we traded for him. We gave up picks 2 and 18 to secure him, so in no way can Fremantle be said to have suffered, and we had to sacrifice to get the deal done.

Some calm heads around, thankfully, let's all wait and see.

My 2 cents, is that having been in similar situations (though not in the sporting realm), things often look different from the inside to how they look from the outside, and people make decisions based on their own criteria and their own needs. We can conjecture all we want.

If Tom suddenly announced his engagement to a girl from Penrith, we could perhaps start to legitimately worry, but until then ... let's enjoy seeing Tom in the Red and Blue.

The club managed to succesfully handle rival offers for Green and Davey (if not others we don't know about), and we have to trust they'll do the best for the club here as well.

talk about dogs and bones

people...hes a Dermon

next

Oh yeah that'll work. Definitely !!!

Two points:

1) Melbourne picked up Jeff White after he only spent two years at Fremantle as a priority pick. Reverse situation, but very similar.

2) If Scully admitted that he was going to GWS half way through the year, should Melbourne continue to play him?

Although we gave up picks 2 and 18 in 1997 for White. We won't get that with GC/GWS.

I don't know why the AFL couldn't simply make the trade rules for the new clubs the same as every other club in order to assure that clubs who lose players, get fair compensation for them. The additional salary caps are sufficient to encourage clubs to give a decent crack at getting some quality players, but Ablett is worth a lot more than Geelong got, as is Scully.

It's been very hard to not get caught up in the hysteria finally i have succumbed.

The major part I'll be disappointed about if he goes is that consistently he has appeared to embrace the culture

and history of the MFC and if he goes I don't think he should of accepted RDB's number from the great man himself.

Just doesn't seem right. Many will say that he wouldn't have known at the time but he's not silly that's why he

didn't extend his contract like Trengove and Tapscott.

I just hope this doesn't drag on like Ablett there was speculation that distracted from a Prelim which is a

hard thing to do.

This is also the ultimate complement to our recruiting it's obvious that we picked the No1 player of the draft

and that all those Shitmond supporters who sprout on about Martin are/were wrong.

I think these numbers would have to be a little on the inflated side. They only get a few years of salary cap concessions. To offer this much to Tom would eat up most of the extra, leaving them little or nothing to throw at other players. If they are into Bartel or Swan, those are the guys who would be looking at millions. To offer it to Scully would be absurd.

That being said, I am very concerned that they will offer him way over market value to try to lure him away from us. It's not really a smart move, but nothing about GWS is smart.

I don't see why we can't get close to any offer GWS makes.

First things first, they CANNOT offer Scully more than $1m per season. They do have extra in the cap, but their list size is also larger by about 16 players. Realistically, they are only going to be able to afford 1 superstar on about $1.5m (ala Ablett) + 6 or 7 others on around $500,000. If they take a different approach to GC Suns, and take a player from every list in the AFL, they'll have even less money to pay all those experienced players.

Plus, does anyone really think it would be wise for GWS to spent the money they have for 1 superstar on Scully? Sure he looks a jet, but he has deficiencies and hasn't had his break out yet. As if you wouldn't prefer a guy like Pendlebury or Swan?

Also, if anyone remember, we have been front loading contracts for 3 years now, in anticipation of this. We have over $1m spare in the cap.

It's my opinion that we could easily pay Scully $6-700,000 a year on a long term 5 year deal easily. We can afford it and he's worth it. $700,000 compared to $1m would not be worth moving for imo, when you consider all the other factors which say he should stay with melbourne.

He'll be a millionare whatever choice he makes

Holy cow, that's two of us who can add up! Thank God there is someone else in this thread who is thinking logically. Yes they can offer him big bucks, but not as much as has been thrown about in the media. While I don't doubt they are looking at Tom, will not be their first priority, so the bulk of the money they have spare will be earmarked for other (bigger name) players. Perhaps if their other targets were to fall through they would offer him the world, but I think they will be more concerned with getting the big drawcard and building up a spine than poaching a young potential star.

While I don't doubt they are looking at Tom, will not be their first priority, so the bulk of the money they have spare will be earmarked for other (bigger name) players.

If I was GWS I'd throw everything at Pendlebury. Scully would be very nice, of course, but only after I'd exhausted the proven "A" listers. I'm not sure who said earlier that it could be a good plan to make us pay overs to keep Scully and weaken us for a potential raid next year that we couldn't fend off, but whoever did say it might be right on the money. That 2nd year GWS has adds a whole new dimension to the game that we didn't have last year.

The only question we need to ask is "Tom have you signed with GWS?" if the answer is no then he plays. If the answer is anything else he doesn't play for US all season. We have to make a stand!! This is our only playing card. We must force the issue NOW,

The only question we need to ask is "Tom have you signed with GWS?" if the answer is no then he plays. If the answer is anything else he doesn't play for US all season. We have to make a stand!! This is our only playing card. We must force the issue NOW,

we'd be forcing it alright. We'd be forcing one of the best prospects in the comp right out the door

Wow. 29,659 views for a thread about a young kid being offered a big contract by another club. And the only reason given for Tom accepting the contract is the money. I just think he needs more reasons than that.

Scully told the recruiters at the draft camp in 2009 that he wants be the best footballer he can possibly be. Money alone will not achieve that goal. The job of the MFC is to convince Tom that his best chance of achieving his goal lies with the Dees.

By the way, is anyone interested in the rumour that Melbourne is after Malthouse for next year? I heard that one tonight on AW.