Tom Scully in September ...

[Pates 9,537]

Alright I'm in Europe at the moment so it's a bit hard to describe the way I'm feeling, but I guess I can say I don't really blame Tom for going. If we'd had q great year I reckon that could've been enough to convince him but at the end of the day just about everything that could go wrong has gone wrong for the team this year.

6 mil over 6 years is A LOT of money, it sets himself up for life regardless of if his knee gives out, which I will be very interested to see how he copes with that frailty. IMO I think he took the offer because he couldn't refuse it.

My emotions may be at their high now, but I can tell you this: GWS are officially my most hated club. I pray to the gods that we get them at the G (Round 1 my preferance) and nothing would give me more pleasure than to see us rip their heads off. In fact the only thing that could give me more pleasure is if A: Melbourne won a premiership or B: GWS dies in the ass. The way they have conducted themselves over the fledging period is nothing short of disgraceful and the fact that the AFL has backed them the whole way males it more despicable.

Gold Coast poached mostly ready-made players, and look what they've produced this year. The Giants have gone for kids, I wish them nothing but pain for 2012.

[dees189227 10,857]

He was just on SEN. Ox tried to say to him that 3 people told him that he had already signed. Tom stuck to his guns and said well id like to know those 3 people are because I only signed this morning. Also spoke about the facilities and said how good they are. Also said about the money. Said he was only told half way through the season that GWS showed interest. Also said he was close to Dean but him going had little to do with it.

Dermie said he cant believe how well he speaks for a 20 year old and someone was to get that big amount of money then he is glad its Tom because he will be able to manage and handle himself and wont lose control of it.

[DaveyJones'sLocker 585]

Well done to whoever made this YouTube video.

[Diablo Deemon 220]

can we get a concerted effort by the posters to stop creating crap threads there is plenty around post it in there

[hardtack 10,127]

Clearly we made a mistake in signing Scully. Can someone confirm that Dustin Martin was offered in the vicinity of 800k last year to join Gold Coast? We should have drafted him.

Money isn't everything for some folks (especially after a nice 60% tax rate). Damn you Scully for stuffing us about for a long time.

Ahhh, 20/20 hindsight... don't you just love it.

[jumbo returns 6,503]

Looked mighty comfortable when Sheedy ruffled his hair....couldn't wait to step away.

[spiritof76 0]

he made his mind up within the last two weeks. Family pressure to not take the money considering the obscene amount of money on offer - won't stop me giving him an earful- but he was never a MFC supporter.

[bush demon 1,900]

Looked mighty comfortable when Sheedy ruffled his hair....couldn't wait to step away.

look if he memorises everyone of kev's premierships they will get on fine.

[Dee Fan 3,247]

Alright I'm in Europe at the moment so it's a bit hard to describe the way I'm feeling, but I guess I can say I don't really blame Tom for going. If we'd had q great year I reckon that could've been enough to convince him but at the end of the day just about everything that could go wrong has gone wrong for the team this year.

6 mil over 6 years is A LOT of money, it sets himself up for life regardless of if his knee gives out, which I will be very interested to see how he copes with that frailty. IMO I think he took the offer because he couldn't refuse it.

My emotions may be at their high now, but I can tell you this: GWS are officially my most hated club. I pray to the gods that we get them at the G (Round 1 my preferance) and nothing would give me more pleasure than to see us rip their heads off. In fact the only thing that could give me more pleasure is if A: Melbourne won a premiership or B: GWS dies in the ass. The way they have conducted themselves over the fledging period is nothing short of disgraceful and the fact that the AFL has backed them the whole way males it more despicable.

Gold Coast poached mostly ready-made players, and look what they've produced this year. The Giants have gone for kids, I wish them nothing but pain for 2012.

I hope we never give GW$ the satisfaction of showing our hatred towards them, they would love that. They are [censored] club not worthy of any wasted emotion; I hate Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon but it's taken years to build that up. I'm not going to let a 20 year old upstart cause me any further worry and just look forward to beating the [censored] out of them and Gold Coast next year, purely for the win and % purposes only. GWS are nothing and I don't intend to make them something, that's what Sheedy would love and that senile old fool is not worth the effort.

[TrueBeliever 1]

Just looking at the GW$ presser...the dude clearly says:

"..so I could see that he was agonised by this challenge about coming to our club, and OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR AND THAT DECISION, THAT AGONISING DECISION HE HAD TO MAKE"My link

[Cherrybaby 9]

I'm glad this is finally over. ! I think the MFC would have been crazy to pay so much money for a player who has yet to prove himself. In the end things will work out one way or another. I hope when we make the finals in a few years time and Scully and his $$ buddies are sitting on the bottom of the ladder, he might look back and see that money doesn't buy you everything!

[Tigers Dayz 2]

Is there upside to the fact we just cost GWS $6,000,000 to ensure they got him? Won't that hurt them somehow down the track?

[Guest Buster Bluth]

Greedy little bastard!

Didn't want to believe it til it happened.

Not F'ing happy Jan.

[Norm Smith's Curse 2,078]

The first time I saw Scully smile was up there with Kevin Sheedy, previous to that he has been an sullen, withdrawn character who obviously never had any connection to the club or any intention of staying there (2 year contract as an example). Ask him how many sponsor functions he attended flying the flag for the team? the club bent over backwards for him. I would have just shown him the door earlier - letting it drag out on the small hope he might reluctantly be guilted into staying just made us look pathetic as a team.

People can use the money as an excuse - and young people and those who to think only about the now and not the totality of their lives would jump at the chance.

But here you have a young man who could have earned decent money staying at Melbourne, could have lead the Demons to a Premiership and be known throughout football circles and throughout Melbourne as someone with strong character, a one club player, a hero for an old and proud club that he did the right thing by, loved by the media and made in the home of footy. He could have been another Reiwoldt (assuming he has the talent).

Instead he's decided to choose the coin over his reputation. When its all done and dusted he'll be remembered as a mercenary - whether that is a fair or unfair conclusion - with no real allegience to anyone but himself and the coin. he would earn less at the dees but with a sterling reputation as a genuine person.

I have no doubt that he signed long ago - the promotional video wasnt made in a day.

After listening to him on SEN Ive lost all respect for him. He seems naive, young and just caught in the moment. When the dust settles he'll just have his money.

As for the club - gees we lose Scott Thompson, we cant get Aker, we cant get Judd, Ball (Scully senior) would sooner quit for a year than get drafted by us, last boon we had was Jeff White from Freo. We need to now consolidate where we stand - it looks bad for the club, but these are the moments that define any organisation - but more so a sports club that relies on the passion and emotion of its supporters (who find it hard to stomach pure business decisions that have consequences that effect our emotions).

Now is the time to get behind the club and show some solidarity.

And for ONCE can I please hear someone at the club have a go and someone about something!!

[Guest Buster Bluth]

Is there upside to the fact we just cost GWS $6,000,000 to ensure they got him? Won't that hurt them somehow down the track?

I bloody hope so.

That he got so much is probly an indication they were struggling to get anyone else too.

$2 million up front is a lot to front load so I dont think they'll be squeezing many more in this year. Maybe next.

[Lil_red_fire_engine 10,238]

The first time I saw Scully smile was up there with Kevin Sheedy, previous to that he has been an sullen, withdrawn character who obviously never had any connection to the club or any intention of staying there (2 year contract as an example). Ask him how many sponsor functions he attended flying the flag for the team? the club bent over backwards for him. I would have just shown him the door earlier - letting it drag out on the small hope he might reluctantly be guilted into staying just made us look pathetic as a team.

People can use the money as an excuse - and young people and those who to think only about the now and not the totality of their lives would jump at the chance.

But here you have a young man who could have earned decent money staying at Melbourne, could have lead the Demons to a Premiership and be known throughout football circles and throughout Melbourne as someone with strong character, a one club player, a hero for an old and proud club that he did the right thing by, loved by the media and made in the home of footy. He could have been another Reiwoldt (assuming he has the talent).

Instead he's decided to choose the coin over his reputation. When its all done and dusted he'll be remembered as a mercenary - whether that is a fair or unfair conclusion - with no real allegience to anyone but himself and the coin. he would earn less at the dees but with a sterling reputation as a genuine person.

I have no doubt that he signed long ago - the promotional video wasnt made in a day.

After listening to him on SEN Ive lost all respect for him. He seems naive, young and just caught in the moment. When the dust settles he'll just have his money.

As for the club - gees we lose Scott Thompson, we cant get Aker, we cant get Judd, Ball (Scully senior) would sooner quit for a year than get drafted by us, last boon we had was Jeff White from Freo. We need to now consolidate where we stand - it looks bad for the club, but these are the moments that define any organisation - but more so a sports club that relies on the passion and emotion of its supporters (who find it hard to stomach pure business decisions that have consequences that effect our emotions).

Now is the time to get behind the club and show some solidarity.

And for ONCE can I please hear someone at the club have a go and someone about something!!

Great first post. Hopefully there's many more to come.

[GawnWithTheWind 604]

Seriously, that video is [censored] awesome... Congrads

[Guest Buster Bluth]

One thing I heard in his SEN interview that has been glossed over is that Scully slipped up and said he'd decided he'd probably go to GWS about 3 weeks before the end of the season.

Not that it matters.

[Surfer Rosa 15]

One thing I heard in his SEN interview that has been glossed over is that Scully slipped up and said he'd decided he'd probably go to GWS about 3 weeks before the end of the season.

Not that it matters.

Like Holmes from GWS saying 'we're glad to have a fit Tom, a free Tom'. Free from what? Being unable to announce he had signed 6 mths ago???!!!

[Dee Fan 3,247]

The first time I saw Scully smile was up there with Kevin Sheedy, previous to that he has been an sullen, withdrawn character who obviously never had any connection to the club or any intention of staying there (2 year contract as an example). Ask him how many sponsor functions he attended flying the flag for the team? the club bent over backwards for him. I would have just shown him the door earlier - letting it drag out on the small hope he might reluctantly be guilted into staying just made us look pathetic as a team.

People can use the money as an excuse - and young people and those who to think only about the now and not the totality of their lives would jump at the chance.

But here you have a young man who could have earned decent money staying at Melbourne, could have lead the Demons to a Premiership and be known throughout football circles and throughout Melbourne as someone with strong character, a one club player, a hero for an old and proud club that he did the right thing by, loved by the media and made in the home of footy. He could have been another Reiwoldt (assuming he has the talent).

Instead he's decided to choose the coin over his reputation. When its all done and dusted he'll be remembered as a mercenary - whether that is a fair or unfair conclusion - with no real allegience to anyone but himself and the coin. he would earn less at the dees but with a sterling reputation as a genuine person.

I have no doubt that he signed long ago - the promotional video wasnt made in a day.

After listening to him on SEN Ive lost all respect for him. He seems naive, young and just caught in the moment. When the dust settles he'll just have his money.

As for the club - gees we lose Scott Thompson, we cant get Aker, we cant get Judd, Ball (Scully senior) would sooner quit for a year than get drafted by us, last boon we had was Jeff White from Freo. We need to now consolidate where we stand - it looks bad for the club, but these are the moments that define any organisation - but more so a sports club that relies on the passion and emotion of its supporters (who find it hard to stomach pure business decisions that have consequences that effect our emotions).

Now is the time to get behind the club and show some solidarity.

And for ONCE can I please hear someone at the club have a go and someone about something!!

Absolutely spot on I've felt the same about him since the day of the draft he looked as if he would have rather gone anywhere else but Melbourne. I often wonder if it was the Tanking issue that caused that and if he didn't want to be associated with a club that was involved in tanking.

I recall Butcher, who was supposed to go one two with Scully at the beginning of the year, saying he didn't want to go to a club that tanked.

Together with Carlton, we were involved in the most blatant tanking and I wonder if that has caused damage to our image and desirability in terms of attracting other players.

[jumbo returns 6,503]

The first time I saw Scully smile was up there with Kevin Sheedy, previous to that he has been an sullen, withdrawn character who obviously never had any connection to the club or any intention of staying there (2 year contract as an example). Ask him how many sponsor functions he attended flying the flag for the team? the club bent over backwards for him. I would have just shown him the door earlier - letting it drag out on the small hope he might reluctantly be guilted into staying just made us look pathetic as a team.

People can use the money as an excuse - and young people and those who to think only about the now and not the totality of their lives would jump at the chance.

But here you have a young man who could have earned decent money staying at Melbourne, could have lead the Demons to a Premiership and be known throughout football circles and throughout Melbourne as someone with strong character, a one club player, a hero for an old and proud club that he did the right thing by, loved by the media and made in the home of footy. He could have been another Reiwoldt (assuming he has the talent).

Instead he's decided to choose the coin over his reputation. When its all done and dusted he'll be remembered as a mercenary - whether that is a fair or unfair conclusion - with no real allegience to anyone but himself and the coin. he would earn less at the dees but with a sterling reputation as a genuine person.

I have no doubt that he signed long ago - the promotional video wasnt made in a day.

After listening to him on SEN Ive lost all respect for him. He seems naive, young and just caught in the moment. When the dust settles he'll just have his money.

As for the club - gees we lose Scott Thompson, we cant get Aker, we cant get Judd, Ball (Scully senior) would sooner quit for a year than get drafted by us, last boon we had was Jeff White from Freo. We need to now consolidate where we stand - it looks bad for the club, but these are the moments that define any organisation - but more so a sports club that relies on the passion and emotion of its supporters (who find it hard to stomach pure business decisions that have consequences that effect our emotions).

Now is the time to get behind the club and show some solidarity.

And for ONCE can I please hear someone at the club have a go and someone about something!!

I agree that solidarity is now important but I'm not sure about your examples that belittle the Dees as an organisation.

Scotty Thompson was home sick and had strong family ties in SA.

Aker was caustic and dislodged the playing group.

Judd WAS NEVER a possibility and Ball was not in the FD's plans.

Jeff White came across and had a fantastic career with the Club. The Club has re-signed Trengove, Tapscott, Gawn, Sylvia, Moloney, Frawley and today, Martin and Morton. (I'm still convinced he'll come good) There are signatures from many more to come. We'll be okay, we've dodged a bullet and not created disharmony in the Club.

I'm so looking forward to the draft and the signing of our new coach.

[Dee Fan 3,247]

It would be interesting to know just how much of a distraction this has been on the club and the players.

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7415/newsid/123248/default.aspx

TOM Scully's decision to leave Melbourne for a six-year deal with Greater Western Sydney has been like a 'black cloud' lifting from the club, Demons CEO Cameron Schwab says.

Speaking just hours after Scully officially became a Giant, Schwab said the constant speculation over the midfielder's future had been a distraction all year.

"This in some ways has been like a black cloud which has been over the club for much of the last 12 months," Schwab said on Monday.

"The black cloud now moves on to another club.

[Harry Manback 2]

Like Holmes from GWS saying 'we're glad to have a fit Tom, a free Tom'. Free from what? Being unable to announce he had signed 6 mths ago???!!!

Slavery!!!

Gotta feel for these modern day professional footballers, don't you?

Ronaldo: I am a Slave

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

Absolutely spot on I've felt the same about him since the day of the draft he looked as if he would have rather gone anywhere else but Melbourne.

Agreed.

[Ron Burgundy 8,584]

The first time I saw Scully smile was up there with Kevin Sheedy, previous to that he has been an sullen, withdrawn character who obviously never had any connection to the club or any intention of staying there (2 year contract as an example). Ask him how many sponsor functions he attended flying the flag for the team? the club bent over backwards for him. I would have just shown him the door earlier - letting it drag out on the small hope he might reluctantly be guilted into staying just made us look pathetic as a team.

People can use the money as an excuse - and young people and those who to think only about the now and not the totality of their lives would jump at the chance.

But here you have a young man who could have earned decent money staying at Melbourne, could have lead the Demons to a Premiership and be known throughout football circles and throughout Melbourne as someone with strong character, a one club player, a hero for an old and proud club that he did the right thing by, loved by the media and made in the home of footy. He could have been another Reiwoldt (assuming he has the talent).

Instead he's decided to choose the coin over his reputation. When its all done and dusted he'll be remembered as a mercenary - whether that is a fair or unfair conclusion - with no real allegience to anyone but himself and the coin. he would earn less at the dees but with a sterling reputation as a genuine person.

I have no doubt that he signed long ago - the promotional video wasnt made in a day.

After listening to him on SEN Ive lost all respect for him. He seems naive, young and just caught in the moment. When the dust settles he'll just have his money.

As for the club - gees we lose Scott Thompson, we cant get Aker, we cant get Judd, Ball (Scully senior) would sooner quit for a year than get drafted by us, last boon we had was Jeff White from Freo. We need to now consolidate where we stand - it looks bad for the club, but these are the moments that define any organisation - but more so a sports club that relies on the passion and emotion of its supporters (who find it hard to stomach pure business decisions that have consequences that effect our emotions).

Now is the time to get behind the club and show some solidarity.

And for ONCE can I please hear someone at the club have a go and someone about something!!

It probably also accounts for why Scully was so reluctant to discuss his intentions at the end of season, despite the club's wishes that he do so.

Our next group of elite players will be home grown. And I think we'll have a few in Trengove, Watts, McKenzie, Frawley, Gysberts, Morton (dare I say), Viney etc.