DEMYSTIFYING TOM SCULLY

[Demonland 73,139]

DEMYSTIFYING TOM SCULLY by Whispering Jack

The Western Bulldogs were raging hot flag favourites after they won last year's NAB Cup competition but they barely limped into the penultimate week of the AFL finals series when it mattered and, in truth, they were probably gone well before the start of September action. Injuries played their part but they simply didn't get better as the season wore on. In fact, they got worse.

So much water flows under the bridge during the course of a year that it would be foolish to take much away from the spectacle of last night's opening round robin of the AFL's preseason competition.

Still, the events in Adelaide provided some more promising glimmers of hope for the Demon faithful following a week of mixed signals, disappointment and uncertainty about Tom Scully's future at the Melbourne Football Club beyond 2011.

The buzz over summer was all about the pending emergence of the Demons as their bevy of early draft picks matured. Injuries to James Frawley and more recently to Cale Morton have damped the spirits a little but the Tom Scully story that won't go away was starting to hurt - until Adelaide.

Adelaide saw exactly what the future holds for the Melbourne Football Club.

A bigger, stronger Jack Watts showed the skills, the brains and the physical attributes that made him a number one pick. He will only get better.

Jack Trengove showed the attributes of a ten year power midfielder that had him tantalisingly close to being a number one pick. He will only get better.

Jack Grimes showed the class and the polish that vindicated the club's decision to trade a past number one pick for the opportunity to secure him. He will only get better.

Liam Jurrah wasn't picked in a national draft but was first selection in the first draft in which he was available being the 2009 pre season draft. Last night, he lit up a stadium full of Crows and Power supporters with his incredible natural powers. He will only get better.

Then there's Lucas Cook - the club's first round selection from last year's national draft who really showed something for the future. Not this year but in a couple of year's time, this kid could be part of something special playing on the Melbourne forward line, a twin tower to Watts with Jurrah floating in the wings. He will only get better.

There's a lot more. The individuals I've mentioned constitute only the pointy tip of the football iceberg. The game is about more than the 46 individuals that make up your playing list. It's about developing a premiership team and the seeds have been sown for two or three years to achieve that end. It will still take some more time yet.

So where does that leave Tom Scully?

The nineteen year old midfielder is one of the most talented players to come to the club but there's so much more to him than pure talent. He's a young man personally driven to achieve success. You can see that he approaches everything with a level of professionalism and intensity that belies his age. He has prepared himself meticulously and even made great sacrifices for the sake of his career. In a short space of time, he has earned the respect and attention of the football world as well as the right to command the reputedly massive offers rumoured to have been made for his services.

All this has come about not only through his own endeavours alone but also thanks to a terrific support system provided by family and friends in outer suburban Melbourne. Scully is still a teenager and while many of his age and younger are shipped out of their home for the sake of their careers, this usually happens when the choice is out of the hands of the player. In my view, to take him away from his own special supportive family group at this age and to relocate him to a foreign environment in a completely new franchise starting at ground zero would be fraught with danger as far as the young man's development is concerned.

Scully has a great future in front of him and the dollars will be there wherever he goes but, as we saw clearly this week with the verbal stoushes between Kevin Sheedy and Eddie McGuire, the new franchise in Greater Western Sydney is more akin to a circus than a professional football club. Sheeds is just as much the showman these days as the coach - the spruiking has even involved recruiting a rugby league player as its main act. Is this a football club or a freak show?

Circuses come and go from town to town but for circus performers, there is no place to call home; the most skilful tent boxer can only dream of wearing a world champion's belt.

And that's the choice for Tom Scully and his management. West Sydney and the sawdust of the circus tent or Melbourne and the MCG.

Last night demonstrated clearly that Tom's home is at Melbourne. Here, he can really be part of a team with a future where he and his mates will only get better and where he can fulfil his destiny as the consummate footballer.

[The Great Pretender 475]

Too right!!!

A players support system includes family and mates. The money's important of course but your mates are also important to you.

Scully played Under 18 TAC Cup football for Vic Metro with Jack Watts, James Strauss, Sam Blease, Jordan Gysberts and Jack Fitzpatrick. Max Gawn was in the squad in Scully's second year at Under 18 level but missed out due to injury. These are his footballinng mates.

Sam Blease played in Demon colours for the first time last night. He was a sub and came on and had one kick. This is what he said on Twitter today:-

Great to have first hit out with all the boys! Great to see all our 08 draftees up and running! Can't wait to play again with my boy sculls!

Money can't buy that sort of thing.

[RalphiusMaximus 6,088]

"and even made great sacrifices for the sake of his career"

I think that says it all. He is a young man who is willing to sacrifice for the sake of success. I, along with all Melbourne supporters, hope that he measures success not in monetary terms but rather in winning matches and premierships. If that is the case then we really have little to worry about from GWS.

[Guest melbman]

Hopefully GC get smacked week in week out to show just how uncomfortable it would be playing for a start-up team

[Keyser Söze 0]

Great article again WJ.

Simply sublime reading.

Melbman, I think that's exactly what we'll see.

Scully will learn a lesson from watching Ablett struggle to do it on his own.

It may be only temporary, but luckily the year they will struggle is the one directly preceding Scully's decision.

Last night I was thanking my stars that GC started up a year ahead of GWS, so we get a live example of the early ineptitude.

[jabberwocky 2,301]

You are a very persuasive man WJ.

[Red Sox 2]

Well said

[angryfijian 25]

Very well written article. The future for MFC looks very bright with or without Mr Scully. The decision is all his to make.

[Fork 'em 6,990]

Well said , articulated my thoughts perfectly .

He's a class young bloke , he'll stay for sure and sign sooner rather that later .

The media circus he's found himself in would be his worst nightmare IMO .

[demoniac 1,336]

I don't see why GWS is regarded as a circus. Yep new AFL footy clubs in these days of multi million dollar professional sport are not established by a few gentleman convening a meeting but there is not much today that we do similar to the days of the second half of the 19th century when most of the traditional VFL clubs were established. The expansion of the VFL into the AFL has underpinned Aussie Rules becoming the dominant sporting code in the land. GWS and the vast expanses of the west of Sydney represents the next logical step in that expansion.

As for Scully I trust Tim Harrington will offer him a contract worthy of his performance and his undoubted potential and not a dollar or contract year more. Simply put GWS can afford to pay him more than we can given their extra million in the salary cap and the number of players in their first few years who will be on standard rookie contracts. We can't afford to pay him more than we estimate his worth under our standard salary cap or what do we do when our other exciting young talents come out of contract?

Melbourne has a good story to sell Scully. The oldest club in the game, the club that created the game is poised to once again challenge for flags after almost 50 years in the wilderness. He knows the depth of outstanding young talent that surrounds him and that on and off the field we are building to something truly special. He has a chance to be part of that. Or he can take GWS's millions and ultimately be a wealthier man but a man NEVER EVER to be welcome at Melbourne.

I hope he does stays to play his part but if he goes I don't see it as being a fatal blow because our playing list has plenty of young exciting talent apart from Scully which would be added to by the 2 first rounders we should receive as compo with Jack Viney on the horizon. Thats ultimately my point. This club is now in a strong position on and off the field and the words of Maloney at the 2009 Best and Fairest ring loud and true.

Is he likely to go? Well the drums were beating about the identity of players going to the GC last year and they were correct. Then there is the disingenious nature of the statment released by his managment company re Scully not negotiating with the Dees until the end of the 2011 season. Presumably they don't consume any media otherwise they would know, as everyone else does that by not signing a new contract with the Dees speculation would build all year a la Ablett, Brown, Bock et al in that media that the Velocity Sports folks obviuosly don't cconsume.

The words of Maloney at the 2009 Best and Fairest that ring loud and true.

"We are on a straight line and we will not deviate . . . if you don't want to be on that straight line go to Carlton, go wherever,"

[Sir Why You Little 37,122]

I don't see why GWS is regarded as a circus. Yep new AFL footy clubs in these days of multi million dollar professional sport are not established by a few gentleman convening a meeting but there is not much today that we do similar to the days of the second half of the 19th century when most of the traditional VFL clubs were established. The expansion of the VFL into the AFL has underpinned Aussie Rules becoming the dominant sporting code in the land. GWS and the vast expanses of the west of Sydney represents the next logical step in that expansion.

As for Scully I trust Tim Harrington will offer him a contract worthy of his performance and his undoubted potential and not a dollar or contract year more. Simply put GWS can afford to pay him more than we can given their extra million in the salary cap and the number of players in their first few years who will be on standard rookie contracts. We can't afford to pay him more than we estimate his worth under our standard salary cap or what do we do when our other exciting young talents come out of contract?

Melbourne has a good story to sell Scully. The oldest club in the game, the club that created the game is poised to once again challenge for flags after almost 50 years in the wilderness. He knows the depth of outstanding young talent that surrounds him and that on and off the field we are building to something truly special. He has a chance to be part of that. Or he can take GWS's millions and ultimately be a wealthier man but a man NEVER EVER to be welcome at Melbourne.

I hope he does stays to play his part but if he goes I don't see it as being a fatal blow because our playing list has plenty of young exciting talent apart from Scully which would be added to by the 2 first rounders we should receive as compo with Jack Viney on the horizon. Thats ultimately my point. This club is now in a strong position on and off the field and the words of Maloney at the 2009 Best and Fairest ring loud and true.

Is he likely to go? Well the drums were beating about the identity of players going to the GC last year and they were correct. Then there is the disingenious nature of the statment released by his managment company re Scully not negotiating with the Dees until the end of the 2011 season. Presumably they don't consume any media otherwise they would know, as everyone else does that by not signing a new contract with the Dees speculation would build all year a la Ablett, Brown, Bock et al in that media that the Velocity Sports folks obviuosly don't cconsume.

The words of Maloney at the 2009 Best and Fairest that ring loud and true.

"We are on a straight line and we will not deviate . . . if you don't want to be on that straight line go to Carlton, go wherever,"

Excellent Post. I want Scully to stay as well.

If he goes i will be bitterly disappointed, But the Melbourne Football Club is bigger than one man,

That is a lesson we should have learnt after RDB left in '65

[John Crow Batty 8,878]

Eloquent post but I hope it doesn't turn out to be a plea of desperation.

Edited February 12, 2011 by america de cali

[Little Goffy 14,639]

GWS is a circus, don't mistake it for anything else.

It is to a real football club what the NAB Cup is to actual football. And will get the same kind of attendences.

GWS won't mean anything much even by the time a current teenage player retires. The AFL itself expects to be subsidising it to a substantial tune for 20 years! $100m set aside to make that club run, above and beyond usual club payments. That's their plan.

Eddie the mouth isn't the first person to contemplate the possibility of snatching players back from GWS in the near future. Shame Dion Prestia was that little bit older and went to Gold Coast, that club actually has something to offer.

[Sir Why You Little 37,122]

GWS is a circus, don't mistake it for anything else.

It is to a real football club what the NAB Cup is to actual football. And will get the same kind of attendences.

GWS won't mean anything much even by the time a current teenage player retires. The AFL itself expects to be subsidising it to a substantial tune for 20 years! $100m set aside to make that club run, above and beyond usual club payments. That's their plan.

Eddie the mouth isn't the first person to contemplate the possibility of snatching players back from GWS in the near future. Shame Dion Prestia was that little bit older and went to Gold Coast, that club actually has something to offer.

I agree with your thoughts, but...The AFL will NOT allow another Brisbane Bears scenario. The GWS team may not be greatly loved for generations, but they will be a fine business, i have no doubt.

[demoniac 1,336]

GWS is a circus, don't mistake it for anything else.

It is to a real football club what the NAB Cup is to actual football. And will get the same kind of attendences.

GWS won't mean anything much even by the time a current teenage player retires. The AFL itself expects to be subsidising it to a substantial tune for 20 years! $100m set aside to make that club run, above and beyond usual club payments. That's their plan.

Eddie the mouth isn't the first person to contemplate the possibility of snatching players back from GWS in the near future. Shame Dion Prestia was that little bit older and went to Gold Coast, that club actually has something to offer.

If there were online forums in the 80s there would have been many posts expressing similar sentiments expressed about Sydney and Brisbane. They were both going to non AFL cities and they certainly were circus like with their private ownership struggles and lack of support from the AFL. But the AFL learned from their errors and both Sydney and Brisbane were given sufficent support to allow them to establish themselves in non AFL cities. Yep $100 million is a stack of cash but for mine it is an appropriate expenditure for a business of the AFL's size and ambition to underwrite the expansion of our great game into 2 large population areas in western Sydney and the Gold Coast. Sure its going to be hard and we need to make sure that the money is well spent and good people are employed to establish good solid sustainable foundations but its the confidence in our code that saw us expand successfully into Sydney and Brisbane originally which has led us into western sydney and the Gold Coast. If we want Aussie Rules to maintain our dominant position in Australian sport we cannot rest on our laurels. Thats the same for the AFL as it is for any business.

[Guest Rojik of the Arctic]

If we want Aussie Rules to maintain our dominant position in Australian sport we cannot rest on our laurels. Thats the same for the AFL as it is for any business.

I've never been quite sure why that benefits anybody but the bigwigs at AFL house when they look for another pay rise. I was happy with the 12 team suburban league but what do I know? I'm just a supporter and it's not like they care about my opinion.

[DirtyDees DDC 187]

Is he likely to go? Well the drums were beating about the identity of players going to the GC last year and they were correct.

The drums were also beating that Kurt Tippett would go to the Gold Coast.

Unlike the Abletts, Bocks and Browns, Kurt was in a similar position to Scully - a young player coming to the end of the second year of his contract. He is a 203 cm key forward, a Oueenslander who came from Southport, and he was a dead certainty to go back home after a couple of years at Adelaide. The Gold Coast would have offered him megabucks - yet he stayed in Adelaide.

[Freddy Fuschia 747]

The drums were also beating that Kurt Tippett would go to the Gold Coast.

Unlike the Abletts, Bocks and Browns, Kurt was in a similar position to Scully - a young player coming to the end of the second year of his contract. He is a 203 cm key forward, a Oueenslander who came from Southport, and he was a dead certainty to go back home after a couple of years at Adelaide. The Gold Coast would have offered him megabucks - yet he stayed in Adelaide.

Was it not Ricky Petterd who was said to have been signed, sealed and delivered to GC17 at about this time last year?

Then when he was signed to Melbourne again, was it not James Frawley who was destined to go north?

Premature speculation and expansion teams seem to go hand in hand nowadays.

[Freddy Fuschia 747]

I don't see why GWS is regarded as a circus.

That's how it should be but in its desperation to promote the new franchises the AFL has done some wierd things. Let there be no doubt that Sheedy's brief is to drum up publicity for the code in what is rugby league heartland and to do this he has to appeal to the lowest common denominator. The result is a GWS circus and the AFL is throwing lots of its filthy lucre at the enterprise, some of it to the detriment of traditional long standing clubs. I agree that it will take a long time for Blacktown to be the right place for an elite player to develop his career.

[daisycutter 29,731]

Was it not Ricky Petterd who was said to have been signed, sealed and delivered to GC17 at about this time last year?

Then when he was signed to Melbourne again, was it not James Frawley who was destined to go north?

Premature speculation and expansion teams seem to go hand in hand nowadays.

Don't you just hate premature speculation . . . . such a waste.

[Whispering_Jack 30,633]

Craig Hutchison has confirmed today in his Sunday Sun column that Tom Scully's manager Mark Kleiman has quit Velocity Sports to take on a producing role at 3AW.

This comes just days after Velocity Sports' clarification of the position taken over Scully's contract negotiations.

Perhaps, in light of everything that's taken place over the past few weeks and the likelihood that speculation will continue for months and possibly have detrimental effect on player and club, the new manager in charge of his contract and his welfare, might consider a review of strategy taken to date?

[Big Kev 371]

Craig Hutchison has confirmed today in his Sunday Sun column that Tom Scully's manager Mark Kleiman has quit Velocity Sports to take on a producing role at 3AW.

This comes just days after Velocity Sports' clarification of the position taken over Scully's contract negotiations.

Perhaps, in light of everything that's taken place over the past few weeks and the likelihood that speculation will continue for months and possibly have detrimental effect on player and club, the new manager in charge of his contract and his welfare, might consider a review of strategy taken to date?

The new job for Kleiman was hinted at by a question to Liam Pickering on Friday night.

Who knows if it will make a difference in the Scully contract strategy?

[Goodvibes 3,596]

Circuses come and go from town to town but for circus performers, there is no place to call home; the most skilful tent boxer can only dream of wearing a world champion's belt.

Beautiful Jack. Thanks for that.

[John Crow Batty 8,878]

The louder the jungle drums beat the more likely they seem to be true. We may have to tune into 3AW more often to see if we can glean some clues to whats happening.

[Demon17 5,202]

I've never been quite sure why that benefits anybody but the bigwigs at AFL house when they look for another pay rise. I was happy with the 12 team suburban league but what do I know? I'm just a supporter and it's not like they care about my opinion.

I sort of agree. I've never seen anyone recently kicking an AFL ball on a Qld. or Sydney beach - ever. Seen plenty throwing a rugby ball though.

Its all about extra TV viewing and advertsing opportunities in the heartlands. If that revenue helps prop up Victoria et al, then its clearly a good thing. Just don't wastse emotional energy on the benefits of a national comp etc. etc. Its only a cash flow issue for the AFL.