Players dont 'love their clubs' anymore, they're gainfully employed by them. If you worked at Westpac and got offered triple your salary to goto ANZ, would you stay for the love of the bank and your workmates, or chase the money... Club loyalty is a redundant and oft-misused word nowadays.

A grossly oversimplistic analysis. There are two key differences between football as an industry and banking, that really blow a hole in your Wespac analysis:

1) AFL football (or any major sporting code) is profitable purely and solely because of its emotional appeal. You can take any stream of revenue the AFL possesses -TV rights, gate attendance, AFL/club membership, merchandise- and whichever one you look at, you'll find the only reason it exists is because a shitload of people are emotionally invested in their club to the point where they'll pay money and sacrifice their leisure time in order to follow them. The sports market is unique from any other market, because it's the only one where the consumer is totally brand loyal to the point where offering the "best service" doesnt really enter into the equation when deciding which product to purchase; people who seriously follow football do not switch to another team when theirs is playing crap. It's the only market where consumers (supporters) buy the product (membership, game day tickets, etc) purely to contribute to and witness the success of their chosen brand, without expecting any kind of service in return; the success of the brand (i.e. a premiership) is reward in itself. Whereas with a bank, the decision of which product to purchase entirely comes down to who can offer the best service, and if a customer doesnt like the service being offered they'll switch to another one and have no emotional qualms about doing so.

Put simply, the money a banker is making comes from a market that has absolutely no emotional investment in that individual, or in the brand he works for. Hence, they need not take emotion into consideration when looking at an offer from another company- they're not anwerable to anyone in that sense. Whereas the money being made by an AFL footballer, stems entirely from a passionate supporter base who have made both a financial and emotional investment into that individual and their development, and even moreso into the brand that he works for. In an environment where footballers give no consideration to this fact, and simply "go where the money is" (especially after only two years on the playing list), it will become harder for supporters to build up an emotional connection with the playing list and get excited about the teams development; it is ultimately bad for football as an industry and it is something the AFL should be trying harder to avoid.

2) Banks dont win premierships, and the prospect of a premiership often causes an emotional bond between player and club. For example; anyone who tries to argue that Nick Riewoldt does not love the St Kilda Football Club is absolutely mad, or has never seen his near Herculean efforts in big games or his emotional displays when he loses one. I would be shocked if Riewoldt has not received several, much bigger offers from other clubs throughout his career, but he has stayed with St Kilda because, having been there to witness the growth of a list that he believes can do it, nothing means more to him than winning a premiership with St Kilda. If what you were saying was right, then every player who ever recieves a better financial offer from another club would always leave; as it happens, they usually tend to stay.

Two thumbs up to the above post.

Has everyone forgotten that, along with his "impeccable" sources, Mike Sheahan has an agenda of his own in this?

It is in his interest to keep this issue alive for as long as he can, because it's an easy way to fill columns and sell newspapers.

He has no real allegiances to any particular AFL club; his allegiances are to his newspaper & his reputation for being a newsbreaker.

Yes I realise that anything is still possible, thats why I said if it proves correct

My only agenda is preservation of common sense,

Yes, preserve what you have left before you loose it all.

Yes, preserve what you have left before you loose it all.

You must be a sad individual if you let your life constantly be led by fear & innuendo, bereft of any evidence or sound reasoning.

Otherwise, your posts to date have been more befitting of someone who wishes to create instability for some ulterior motive.

In any case, I can't figure you out, unless you're simply obsessed by Schadenfreud...

I don't wish to engage in your petty back & forth.

My favourite suggestion in this thread is that Scully will be announcing having signed a 1 year extension (!)

For the life of me, I cannot think of one person that could possibly get an advantage from that arrangement.

There is no positive.

Certainly there is. Kills off the speculation this year... and defers the long-term decision until key unknowns like the TV rights deal and the new AFLPA pay scales are set.

If he doesnt announce at the press conference that he's re-signing then its ablett take 2 and hes goneski

Got to agree with that. If he won't even commit to Melbourne for more one year ... leaving open the possibility of a multi-million dollar contract to begin in 2013 .... then he must be leaning towards GWS

Certainly there is. Kills off the speculation this year... and defers the long-term decision until key unknowns like the TV rights deal and the new AFLPA pay scales are set.

One year extensions are for old people and drunken louts...

Got to agree with that. If he won't even commit to Melbourne for more one year ... leaving open the possibility of a multi-million dollar contract to begin in 2013 .... then he must be leaning towards GWS

No you don't. And the following sentence(s) makes little sense.

If he even doesn't want a one-year extension, which presumably no-one has offered, he is off to GWS???

Huh?

I guess if he has never been offered it, he would find it difficult to accept it so, yeah, it's all coming together now...

You must be a sad individual if you let your life constantly be led by fear & innuendo, bereft of any evidence or sound reasoning.

Otherwise, your posts to date have been more befitting of someone who wishes to create instability for some ulterior motive.

In any case, I can't figure you out, unless you're simply obsessed by Schadenfreud...

I don't wish to engage in your petty back & forth.

And which evidence and sound reasoning are you privy too??? If you know something that hasn't been revealed then by all means indulge us.

People are equally right to think he is staying or going, the only concrete thing we know is that he hasn't signed and the fact that he hasn't signed leaves the door ajar for GWS et al.

Labeling someone sad purely for the fact they take a differing point of view from yourself is in fact sad.

Certainly there is. Kills off the speculation this year... and defers the long-term decision until key unknowns like the TV rights deal and the new AFLPA pay scales are set.

Surely you jest?!

Committing for one year? Why not 2 or 3? It would only increase speculation to make such a bizarre move.

1 year makes it look like we have a rental for a year before he heads off. No 19 year old signs a single year extension.

It's unheard of. And it still leaves him open to GWS the following year.

And stuffs up Tim Harrington's carefully planned staggering of contracts for front-loading purposes.

Why would Scully sign for a year under market when he could just wait the year out and get that year at a decent informed price, too?

There is no benefit in it for anyone.

Got to agree with that. If he won't even commit to Melbourne for more one year ... leaving open the possibility of a multi-million dollar contract to begin in 2013 .... then he must be leaning towards GWS

Actually waiting for the results of the new TV deal shows he is leaning IN our favour.

If he wanted to go to GWS, how much they pay him will probably not change with the TV rights.

It will still be a stupid amount.

If he wants to come to us, he still wants to get a decent contract and the tv deal WILL significantly affect how much WE can offer him.

He's holding off because he wants to be at MFC and is giving the club every chance to out together a deal with the dollars big enough so that all the other factors outweigh the huge sum GWS can offer.

So bloody simple.

Getting very concerned about the increasing number of gratuitous negative comments being made about Tom, just because he chooses not to seriously sabotage his bargaining position.

Nobody would want the club to say: "Tom, we're prepared to pay you whatever you want!" Yet that's the equivalent of what some are wanting Tom to do.

Good post. Leave the kid alone, let those in the know do their job and stop wetting your pants.

I hope Scully never peruses this forum

It is difficult to come to terms with decisions that affect you emotionally, but are way out of your control. Until Scully is wearing GWS jumper next to Sheedy smiling for the parasites (media), then we can vent our anger at the great injustice.

Labeling someone sad purely for the fact they take a differing point of view from yourself is in fact sad.

I don't think it is purely that.

ADC is not only inferring from the rumours, he is also intimating that everyone who isn't inferring the same conclusion is an Ostrich with their head in the ground.

So the sadness is with ADC.

My argument is, with two sides of the same rumour coin, I will take the 19 year old on face value and believe that he hasn't yet signed with GWS and that he will be living with his sister in a flat in East Malvern well into 2012.

My rider argument is MFC supporters go negative to get themselves ready for the worst.

And I don't think it is healthy.

Good post. Leave the kid alone, let those in the know do their job and stop wetting your pants.

^This.

Would have thought the last thread on Scully was a great example to leave it to the Club, Scully & his management.

Rpfc, not only is it not healthy, it is something Gubby & Sheedy would be banking on to help them get what they want.

Too many on here are stupid enough to give them exactly what they want.

A song to Help Tom make up his mind on future plans......

All should read "Frawley on mend QUicksmart" the part about Tom Scully on the link

I haven't read our code of conduct lately but surely this kind of talk deserves a ban!

Bit precious are we?

Surely you jest?!

Committing for one year? Why not 2 or 3? It would only increase speculation to make such a bizarre move.

1 year makes it look like we have a rental for a year before he heads off. No 19 year old signs a single year extension.

It's unheard of. And it still leaves him open to GWS the following year.

And stuffs up Tim Harrington's carefully planned staggering of contracts for front-loading purposes.

Why would Scully sign for a year under market when he could just wait the year out and get that year at a decent informed price, too?

There is no benefit in it for anyone.

There certainly is benefit in it for Tom .......... if, as we all hope, he wants to stay with Melbourne ..... and,if, as the football industry expects........ average player salaries increase under the new AFLPA Agreement.

He eases the speculation by committing until the end of next year and defers long-term negotiations until Harrington adjusts his scale for the new salary cap. Late this season he locks up a higher long term deal than we could offer him today.

If the frenzied speculation doesn't worry him ... and he feels comfortable as an uncommitted player .... then he should wait as you suggest. But if he wants to stay with us - without killing off the GWS option ... then this might be the answer.

A song to Help Tom make up his mind on future plans......

Isn't that track from the Sheedy Calling album?

Bit precious are we?

Social intelligence much?

Rpfc, not only is it not healthy, it is something Gubby & Sheedy would be banking on to help them get what they want.

Too many on here are stupid enough to give them exactly what they want.

Mate do you have any inside knowledge that Scully already signing with GWS is a rumour thrown out there by Gubby Allen & Sheedy and are you privy to their underhanded schemes??? And please don't sight the example of Gubby Allan doing the same thing when he got Buckley to Collingwood from Brisbane.

Now for a dose of reality

1. lets not flatter ourselves, Scully wouldn't bother reading Demonland

2. we supporters will have absolutely no impact on his decision

3. no Melbourne supporter will boo Scully this year

Mate do you have any inside knowledge that Scully already signing with GWS is a rumour thrown out there by Gubby Allen & Sheedy and are you privy to their underhanded schemes??? And please don't sight the example of Gubby Allan doing the same thing when he got Buckley to Collingwood from Brisbane.

Don't sight an effing pertinent example?!

Eh, ok. (resigned) Who do you think is propagating these rumours? There is no downside to nodding and winking at reporters and letting them write the 'whispers are' and 'some sources close say.'

Now for a dose of reality

1. lets not flatter ourselves, Scully wouldn't bother reading Demonland

Let's fracking hope not.

2. we supporters will have absolutely no impact on his decision

Let's hope the nuff-nuffs don't see him in the street, hmm?

3. no Melbourne supporter will boo Scully this year

We will see.

A lot of people are convincing themselves that Tom is lying and/or scheming and if they believe their own nonsense it may lead to some embarrassment.

Out of interest, why can't T. Scully sign a contract right now with a special clause in it, stipulating that his pay will increase by an agreed formula when the TV rights deal is announced?

Why can't that be done right now and remove all of these tv rights questions?

Isn't that track from the Sheedy Calling album?

Could be!!!

Bit precious are we?

I live and breathe football and assume that those people spending all day on this and every other Tom Scully are the same - it was a joke. The "it's only a game" mindset is one that belongs to the sane and rational. The sane and rational supporters follow teams that have won premierships in their lifetimes!