Seems to me that some journalists are actively pushing the AFL agenda

I wouldn't be at all surprised if this was being fed to the media to justify Tom leaving the club and not looking like a mercenary. It won't work we will all know why he left and trying to show him in a better light when he does just won't cut it. Money is the reason, lots of it.

This is a worse kept secret than Gablett last year and is making all parties look stupid. Melbourne should have the balls to give him an ultimatum so we can plan how we will use our Compensation picks, he is gone.

They will be managing his knee injury any second now. In fact, I think it's being managed right now.

It was poor reporting with nothing new. THe only quote from his manager says he is very happy with Melbourne and that's not true about a rift. I know he has to say that but was very direct about the issue. Sick of people using the Scully 'camp' or the buckley 'camp' seriously its one person not a camp.

THis may turn out to be a good thing and he signs with us tomorrow, but i doubt it! LAst thing we need going in to a tough month is this crap!

smoke, mirrors, more smoke...bigger mirrors !!! B)

Some of the worst 'journalism' I've read.

A message to up and coming kids:

"Yours is not to run the club...but to impress it enough with commitment and endeavour to show worthiness of playing for it"

This is seriously getting to be a joke, the media, club and tom have draged it out for far to long.

I beleive tom will go money is too good and he has only played 20 or so games. Its seriously not worth the money they are offering, but thats not to say he wont be in a few years but really thats a expensive gamble.

I pledge not to read any more about tom scully and contract talks.

Its all about MFC and its climb to the top.

Come on people take a stand pledge your support behind the abbolishment of tom scully going or staying articles.

Thats my blood oath.

A message to up and coming kids:

"Yours is not to run the club...but to impress it enough with commitment and endeavour to show worthiness of playing for it"

Agree completely. One of the first thoughts that came into my head upon reading the article

Dunno which is better, the Tom Scully thread or the impending arrival of Matthew Lloyd's book!

Both are complete unmitigated rubbish.

Matthew Lloyd's book? It'll keep falling off the shelf!

Some of the worst 'journalism' I've read.

Could not agree more Jay Clarkes article could be straight out of a trashy gossip magazine

When asked recently by a confidant to assess the likelihood of him heading north, Scully, 20, said he was 70-30.

Apparently Scully has someone who he confides in to keep secrets and talks things through with and they tell those secrets to the Media. A confident by definition is some one who keeps your secrets not blabs to the media. An insider reveals/A close friend/sources close to when I read those terms I am 70 - 30 on thinking "what a load of rubbish".

And these gems

The Herald Sun can reveal:

THE Scully camp is at odds with the Demons over the clauses in the club's latest contract offer.

Well when you negotiate a contract of course you are going to be at odds with some clauses, but gee that's why it a negotiation.

Scully's father, Phil, has links with Sydney, having worked in talent identification for the Swans in recent years.

So Phil worked for Sydney Swans and GWS they are both based in Sydney O....M...G yes it is all so clear now

Player managers and rival club chiefs are convinced Scully is gone.

Good for them

I promised myself I would only read this post and not contribute so thank you Jay Clark whoever you are.

Nothing to see here, the Scully story had died down for a few days, lets fan the flames by trotting out drivel with baseless rumour and innuendo.

Remember the Herald Sun is a News Limited paper, enough said.

Love the McDonald departure as the basis for Bruce leaving, that was ultimately proved to be fallacy, chestnut popping up again.

Maybe Scully's leaving because of how Bailey spoke to CJ when he left.

Remember the Herald Sun is a News Limited paper, enough said.

Indeed. Could they have hacked Scully's phone for the scuttlebutt?

Indeed. Could they have hacked Scully's phone for the scuttlebutt?

Rupert has probably told them, the heat is on, lets hold back on the phone tapping, though nothing is stopping you from making stuff up.

"Tom is enormously happy at Melbourne, he always has been, and that is not a factor in his decision at the end of the year," Blucher said.

"There is no dissatisfaction with the club, he loves the Melbourne Football Club, he has enjoyed his two years there."

Interesting choice of words - I was kind of hoping it would be.

What was it Mark Stevens said on MMM a few weeks ago? Something about Tom being ready to take the heat that will come his way for ratting on Melbourne?

Now today the Hun publishes a list of so-called gripes.

I would prefer Tom's "people" did the noble thing and flat out said he was leaving for the money. Instead they slither to the media with a slip-shod concoction of past gripes (no doubt Norm Smith's sacking is the key reason Tom wants to go to GWS) in a transparent attempt to blame Melbourne for his defection.

With so many things wrong at Melbourne it's a wonder any player wants to stay.

How many lame "I reckon he's gone/staying/an alien" articles must we be subjected to before the end of the season? If he goes or stays, I can do without getting the two cents worth of every hack journalist in the city. I'd actually like some proper investigation into what Melbourne is likely to receive in return in the event he leaves. That would be news. I know Clark touched on this on Monday, but that's one piece in a season of other opinion pieces about whether he's staying.

I like the optimism here, and I'm sure some of you know more about the situation than I do.

That said, I am personally confident he will be leaving. I hear about other clubs resigning players, and one that comes to mind now is Rioli at Hawthorn. Rioli said on the radio he was happy to get it done and out of the way so he could focus on footy.

But with Scully, he says he wants to push it off until the end of the year so he can focus on footy. I don't understand that. I know that he has to weigh up two option, but they're on the table now. If he was staying at Melbourne, he'd have re-signed now. That's just how I see it.

Nothing against him if he leaves. If he goes, that's 2 first round picks, plus extra cap room. 600k for a player of his stature is severely over-paying. Severely.

I hope he leaves.... 600k is to much anyway

Interesting choice of words - I was kind of hoping it would be.

Damn good pick up there OLd !!

Like him or loathe him , here we have the towns biggest Footy paper, coming out via its biggest writer and calling it . Thats balls on the line stuff, like it or not.

Like Mike , I belieive hes well and truly gone. Was hoping he might stay but I sense the die for all this was sunk some time ago. What some arent happy with is the Pantomime before us.

Its all a bit 3rd Act isnt it. Yet all thats happening realy is some scenery is being moved around to obfuscate whats truly happened here.

I thought the other curiousity actuyally ws some notation somewhere that Scully's fatherapparently had Sydney( town, not team ) connections vis a vis recruiting .

what can i say...cue....More Smoke...and keep them Mirrors coming !!! lol

Quite frankly if I were Stynes...( and I fully accept Imnot..and many of you are glad ) but if i were in his position.. Id be asking the young lad to dinner. Id ask him to look me in the eyes and be utterly truthful. The time for gmaes and subtefuge is over. "Whats happening?" Forget this ruse of a inferred timeline. That only has one purpose and thats to facilitate some alternative agenda.

If he couldnt look Jimma in the eyes and say "Im staying, we just need to sort some niiggles out " then the reality is hes going.

and...

If hes going..then Id adopt the stance Roos voiced ages ago ( and I concurred ) that he not be played for the rest of the season...period. why would you.

Its time to push all the bullsh!t aside and demand.. Youre either with us...or agin us > Theres no in between.

Boring.

I believe his manager would prefer he go, obviously there is a bigger payday if he does go.

Outside of that, I still don't see anything in these articles that sway me either way, other than vindicate Tom and the fact that he hasn't already signed.

I hope he stays and am confident we have the people to convince him we are the best place for him.

I am also confident that we will be given the appropriate compensation that will enable us to get a similar talent, but I am resigned to the fact that if he does go it will push our window back a, yet to be determined, amount of time.

We will see in September.

In today's sport section of the sun, there's two whole pages devoted to an extract from a book about Matthew Lloyd, clearly it's a very very slow AFL news day!