Usually I hate the off-season but I actually cannot wait for this season to be over just so that we can get this crap dealt with. I trust Scully when he says he hasn't signed or spoken to anyone as he stated in the rpess conference before the season. I can also understand holding out for a better deal as any smart manager would tell his client to do. I don't really buy the CBA stuff as that can be worked into a contract. My money is on him staying but christ the uncertainty is nauseating.

And BTW, to prove this club has moved ahead with the times into the 21st century, we need to be working hard behind the scenes to work up an added salary for him outside the cap as the Blues do with Visy (not just for Judd). I remember last year the papers saying there were at least 100 or so of these deals in the AFL (about 1 in every 7 or 8 players) its not just a Judd/Visy deal and these are A-OK according to the AFL. We need to start working on these things behind the scenes in order to be able to compete especially with limited free agency coming in.

Edited June 8, 201114 yr by Demonic Ascent

Yes, things like climate, lifestyle, real estate opportunities etc.

Indeed.

During the game last Friday I tweeted @DemonsHQ suggesting they offer him a guarantee of the captaincy if that would help to keep him - it could be in one year, or it could be two or three years down the track, but I would suggest that something like that could be enough to get him over the line. Perhaps they need a flood of such tweets to get the message across?

I don't like the idea of guaranteed captaincy - especially not when the guy's ~19 years old. Just because he's good doesn't mean he'll be a good captain. Even if he'd be a good captain it doesn't mean he's the best captaincy option for us.

I hope Scully has a television program titled "The Decision"...

I don't like the idea of guaranteed captaincy - especially not when the guy's ~19 years old. Just because he's good doesn't mean he'll be a good captain. Even if he'd be a good captain it doesn't mean he's the best captaincy option for us.

I see your point and in essence, I agree... however, after just half the game had been played on Friday, it became very apparent just how important it is to keep him at the club. The guy is unbelievably focused, knows exactly what he wants out of himself and (I would think) his teammates and might be just what is needed to lead this club out of the doldrums; I get the feeling the Judd comparisons go further than just his ability to play.

Edited June 8, 201114 yr by hardtack

I know. I was being flippant.

As in "enter any star of the game here."

I chose Judd because he also went for the Dees as a kid.

And that fact makes a world of difference!

That fact aside, my point was that a star forward is more valuable to us than a star mid considering our list. I don't think you can argue with that, genius.

It is a lot of money but at 1.5m vs 2m you have sufficient money to live a good-quality life either way, so other things become more important (IMO).

Thats the problem - it is so subjective.

If he is to be a 10 year player then a difference of 500K per year racks up to $5M over his career.

We know all the reasons for him to stay .

We know the only reason why he would go.

The decision in the end will be purely about money - end of story.

Will he move for $100K a year difference ? no ?

What about $300K per year ? no ?

How about $500K per year ?

How about a $5M gap between MFC and GWS over the next 10 years ?

It many not even be about the gap - it may be about how much he wants from the MFC and the difference between two offers is not of consequence ( as you have said - maybe TS's thinking is that $1.5M is enough for me)

TS doesnt seem mercenary to me ( as opposed to Pendles on a one year contract) but everyone has their price. My heart ( not my head) is telling me it more about the price that he needs from the MFC rather than difference between offers.

Hopefully he can see the value in the MFC and in staying in Melbourne.

You may be right Rogue, $500K difference $1.5m and $2m may not sway him. But nobody can say what will sway him - that is something only TS knows.

Say GWS have offered 6 million for 5 years, that's 1,200,000 per year

Say Melbourne offered him 1.8 million for 3 years, that's 600,000 per year

Of the extra 600,000, he'll lose around 300,000 in tax

On top of that he'll lose around 50,000 flying his family and friends up and down to Sydney.

So he'll be 250,000 a year better off for the first 3 years.

In 3 years his contract at Melbourne will likely be around the 900,000 - 1,300,000 so the difference will be marginal

All Melbourne need to do is find a business that will "employ" Tom on anywhere between 150,000 and 300,000 a year for 3 - 6 years to make the whole GWS thing a waste of time.

This is before you take into account the positives of Melbourne and the negatives of GWS.

I remain incredibly confident that Tom will remain a Demon

I hope Scully has a television program titled "The Decision"...

I'm going to take my talents to Blacktown just doesn't have the same ring...

Also , his marketing potential (for products) will be diminished if he moves . The master demon is right .On top of this ,he has already spoken of his desire to stay with the Demons and I think we have to tale the young mans' word .

Say GWS have offered 6 million for 5 years, that's 1,200,000 per year

Say Melbourne offered him 1.8 million for 3 years, that's 600,000 per year

Of the extra 600,000, he'll lose around 300,000 in tax

On top of that he'll lose around 50,000 flying his family and friends up and down to Sydney.

So he'll be 250,000 a year better off for the first 3 years.

In 3 years his contract at Melbourne will likely be around the 900,000 - 1,300,000 so the difference will be marginal

All Melbourne need to do is find a business that will "employ" Tom on anywhere between 150,000 and 300,000 a year for 3 - 6 years to make the whole GWS thing a waste of time.

This is before you take into account the positives of Melbourne and the negatives of GWS.

I remain incredibly confident that Tom will remain a Demon

Notwithstanding the higher earning capacity of being in the AFL heartland re endorsements etc

Edit: as the captain says above

I'm going to take my talents to Blacktown just doesn't have the same ring...

Especially when it is coming live from the Rooty Hill R.S.L....

P.S.- I wish someone offered me $1.5 for my services!

Are you worth it??

I know it doesn't mean a jot, but I happen to think he'll stay.

There are intangibles like playing lots of footy on the 'G in front of genuine supporters. That's got to translate into $$$ throughout and especially after one's footy career. Just need savvy management.

Hopefully like someone said, MFC are working on an attractive package for the lad, even if it comes to fruition in years to come.

There are many ways to skin a cat.

Why don't some of us self employed guys contribute to keep him in the Red & Blue.I'd say if we can get 10 businesses to contribute 30k each,300k will be money well spent if he is the face of our companies.

Once a month he could attend a BBQ/function for each of our companies and it would be a bit of a hoot for our clientele.

I personally think if GWS offer $1 Million a year,we'd need to offer him around 800k to keep him as we have his family here,his childhood best mates and 14 games at the G every year and success years earlier.

The 200k difference would be only 110k after tax and not worth moving as he'd easily make that up being a Melbourne based player his whole career.

Good lateral thinking! We could set up the Tom Scully Buy Back Fund

Good lateral thinking! We could set up the Tom Scully Buy Back Fund

although i confess to needing a tom scully update every fifteen minutes, i think it is quite ridiculous to bid him up. all we are doing is playing into the hands of the big clubs. just sit tight, once blue mountains east f.c use up their handouts they will be sitting pretty like our lovely brisbane. never have i felt so closely to rugby as an entity.

Besides what I have written on the Scully topic before, I dont think he will go for another reason.

Everybody talks about Scully being single minded about what he wanted out of his life. FOOTBALL.

He I believe has an obsession with this life.

I think in his mind he wants and is aiming at holding up the cup on GF day, wearing the medal and also being the reighning brownlow medalist as the MFC captain.

He wants the lot and his life up till now has been aimed at this. The money would be good at GWS but wont be bad at MFC either. He has one shot at this in his life and he wouldnt get the shot in his playing lifetime at GWS. Does anybody think GWS would be good enough in the next 10 years for him to achieve this. Too many great players dont have a GF medal, listen to Gary Lyon on this subject sometime.

Arrange a job for him a la cris judd, and promise him the captancy when Brad goes, not a bad shot at your lifes ambition.

Andy Maher on SEN's morning show has just stated that, according to his sources, Tom Scully has signed a heads of agreement with GWS but has now had a change of heart and wants to stay at Melbourne.

The problem is, the arrangement/agreement he has with GWS will be very difficult if not impossible to back out of.

Maher said he only named the player because he felt his source was impeccable.

Make of it what you will ...

All this BS would just evaporate if he made a decision and signed one way or the other. I would be so sick of it. We know he is good. They know he is good. Waiting a few extra rounds isn't going to tell anyone anything new. Declare it and get on with your life, Tom. Then we can all get some peace.

Heads of agreement? Why would you bother with that? You would either sign a contract or you wouldnt. Sounds like BS to me.

So he is calling Scully a liar? Forgive me but I'll take Scully's word over Andy Maher or any of his "impeccable sources".

So he is calling Scully a liar? Forgive me but I'll take Scully's word over Andy Maher or any of his "impeccable sources".

+1

I'll take Scullys word once he's signed.

Makes absolutely no sense.

Basically all I get from this new 'rumour' is that the journos are pretty satisfied he hasn't signed so they're looking for a new angle to generate speculation.

Makes absolutely no sense.

Basically all I get from this new 'rumour' is that the journos are pretty satisfied he hasn't signed so they're looking for a new angle to generate speculation.

Quite the opposite, Maher was satisfied he has signed with GWS. Said he was confident enough with his source to go to air with it.

I doubt such an agreement would be valid under contract law - I am pretty sure GWS can't officially sign anyone