A Story of Lies, Betrayal and Greed

[Guest Voice of the Common Fan]

Expose one lie and all the rest are illuminated.

Tom Scully isn't the devil. He's just a patsy for the Fat Cats, albeit an obscenely paid one.

This is a story that won't be told in the media for there are too many vested interests.

But make no mistake, The Tom Scully Saga points to the erosion of integrity in our great game.

Power, politics and greed ... it's all there.

It starts from the top and permeates down like a virus, resulting in the type of queasy spectacle we've had to watch today.

This is no longer the game my Dad used to take me to, which I grew up loving.

Footy lost a little bit of its soul today.

The common fan has been treated with utter contempt here. Lied to ad nauseum. Treated like the ignorant sheep they think we are

By everyone. BY the AFL. By GW$. By Tom Scully. And yes, by our very own beloved club.

Lies, cover ups and furphies from start to finish.

Discuss ...

[Dr. Gonzo 22,629]

Yep the system is stuffed, the game is all about money but I can't help but love the club. My dilemma; how do you hurt the AFL without hurting the MFC? Don't buy a membership? Don't turn up to games? What would the AFL care?

I decided a few years ago to give up my Gold AFL Membership and spend the $500 per year on a premium MFC Membership so the money would go to the club rather than bankrolling the organisation that wants to see clubs like us and North go under. Other than this though what can we Common Fans really do to let our anger and dissatisfaction known to the AFL?

[Sir Why You Little 34,931]

Yep the system is stuffed, the game is all about money but I can't help but love the club. My dilemma; how do you hurt the AFL without hurting the MFC? Don't buy a membership? Don't turn up to games? What would the AFL care?

I decided a few years ago to give up my Gold AFL Membership and spend the $500 per year on a premium MFC Membership so the money would go to the club rather than bankrolling the organisation that wants to see clubs like us and North go under. Other than this though what can we Common Fans really do to let our anger and dissatisfaction known to the AFL?

Stand by the club....it is right now we are needed more than any other time

[Wadda We Sing 10,685]

Regime change is well overdue. All afl fans can act through their clubs and social media sites like this and others. It would take time but at least some sort of grass roots action would be better than none. Who really wants these expansionist clubs anyway? At what point do we have to get to when enough is enough? It wasn't broken so why fix it?

[Choko 493]

Expose one lie and all the rest are illuminated.

Tom Scully isn't the devil. He's just a patsy for the Fat Cats, albeit an obscenely paid one.

This is a story that won't be told in the media for there are too many vested interests.

But make no mistake, The Tom Scully Saga points to the erosion of integrity in our great game.

Power, politics and greed ... it's all there.

It starts from the top and permeates down like a virus, resulting in the type of queasy spectacle we've had to watch today.

This is no longer the game my Dad used to take me to, which I grew up loving.

Footy lost a little bit of its soul today.

The common fan has been treated with utter contempt here. Lied to ad nauseum. Treated like the ignorant sheep they think we are

By everyone. BY the AFL. By GW$. By Tom Scully. And yes, by our very own beloved club.

Lies, cover ups and furphies from start to finish.

Discuss ...

It's now the entertainment industry. That is how it is. It's not how it was. It's never going back though.

[Guest Gotzy15]

Couldn't agree more! thank goodness for jack trengove! This whole saga makes me even more greatful for him. His arrival at Melbourne was a gift from above!

[H_T 2,941]

There has been poaching from as early as anyone can remember.

What else can we do, other than support our club ?

It's all said and done. We'll have to grit the teeth and bare it; try to obtain the best compensation possible and importantly, move on. Game on.

[heartbeatstrue 57]

The positives include a group of players who have suffered through the instability $cully has caused them all year, yet have shown loyalty and commitment to MFC and each other. With the rat gone from the ranks, they should form an even closer and more motivated group of "teammates" (a term $cully won't get to experience - bet the rest at GWS will hate the little rich kid).

We supporters can show the team how we appreciate loyalty, I'm really looking forward to 2012 now. MFC need to deal tough and get huge value from the compensation. Turn this into one big positive.

Watched $cully on Footy Classified just now lying through his teeth, and his old man. It was cathartic watching the whole group of them heading off to western Sydney. Ha!

[Guest Voice of the Common Fan]

There has been poaching from as early as anyone can remember.

What else can we do, other than support our club ?

It's all said and done. We'll have to grit the teeth and bare it; try to obtain the best compensation possible and importantly, move on. Game on.

True but lies and deceit on this scale? Demetriou and his cronies have institutionalized it (along with the promotion of gambling)

Who will believe what anyone has to say now about anything, including the information that comes out of our own club?

And what message does this send to our kids? Lie and you too can be rich like Tom? Failing that, try Centrebet?

There will be long term repercussions for what these men are doing to the game.

It's not okay to lie. We as supporters need to stop pretending that it is.

Edited September 12, 2011 by Voice of the Common Fan

[Burnzo 2]

True but lies and deceit on this scale? Demetriou and his cronies have institutionalized it (along with the promotion of gambling)

Who will believe what anyone has to say now about anything?

What message does this send to our kids? Lie and you too can be rich like Tom?

There will be long term repercussions for what these men are doing to the game.

It's not okay to lie.

Tom did not get rich by lying. He got rich by leaving. It was his decision and he will have to cop the consequences. Make sure your kids are at the game when 50,000 people boo him.

[bandicoot 1,395]

"football isn't the game my dad used to take me too"

Do you not believe that there were under the table deals and secret hand shakes done back in your dads day.

If you believe that everything was above board back then, then you are deluded.

I believe football has less corruption and lies now then 40 years ago.

It's near on impossible to breach the salary cap and there is full disclosure.

Go on, have a dig at the afl. Without their initiatives the mfc would not exist.

If it means that each club has to sacrifice a little to get a lot then so be it.

[Guest Voice of the Common Fan]

"football isn't the game my dad used to take me too"

Do you not believe that there were under the table deals and secret hand shakes done back in your dads day.

If you believe that everything was above board back then, then you are deluded.

I believe football has less corruption and lies now then 40 years ago.

It's near on impossible to breach the salary cap and there is full disclosure.

Go on, have a dig at the afl. Without their initiatives the mfc would not exist.

If it means that each club has to sacrifice a little to get a lot then so be it.

Good corporate governance and integrity are not mutually exclusive.

How about the AFL start recognizing that without the grassroots fans and traditional clubs, it would not exist?

Make the product unpalatable enough and people will begin voting with their feet.

[bush demon 1,913]

"football isn't the game my dad used to take me too"

Do you not believe that there were under the table deals and secret hand shakes done back in your dads day.

If you believe that everything was above board back then, then you are deluded.

I believe football has less corruption and lies now then 40 years ago.

It's near on impossible to breach the salary cap and there is full disclosure.

Go on, have a dig at the afl. Without their initiatives the mfc would not exist.

If it means that each club has to sacrifice a little to get a lot then so be it.

the voice of reason, but we are only kept alive to maintain the facade, not to win premierships. 'the play' this year required our membership to watch a player run around in name only and who certainly seemed to play dead in the second half of the year. but mark it, the afl which provides breakfast point for poached footballers and their families is an asset bubble which is built on the assumption that it will continue to grow and will eat into market share of entrenched rugby. without attracting rugby supporters western sydney will just be a sucker branch which sucks nutrients out of the main plant. grey and orange are appropriate colours for this parasitic body.

[baysidedave 246]

Expose one lie and all the rest are illuminated.

Tom Scully isn't the devil. He's just a patsy for the Fat Cats, albeit an obscenely paid one.

This is a story that won't be told in the media for there are too many vested interests.

But make no mistake, The Tom Scully Saga points to the erosion of integrity in our great game.

Power, politics and greed ... it's all there.

It starts from the top and permeates down like a virus, resulting in the type of queasy spectacle we've had to watch today.

This is no longer the game my Dad used to take me to, which I grew up loving.

Footy lost a little bit of its soul today.

The common fan has been treated with utter contempt here. Lied to ad nauseum. Treated like the ignorant sheep they think we are

By everyone. BY the AFL. By GW$. By Tom Scully. And yes, by our very own beloved club.

Lies, cover ups and furphies from start to finish.

Discuss ...

I've had enough of it all but seeing his face when he's shaking that geriatric fart Sheedy's hand makes me want to spew-up. I hate Scully with a passion, he has done the dirtiest thing any player has ever done to a club, 31 games and most of them rubbish, I think he played one good quarter of football last year. I know many are going to get into me for being bitter but the guys a toerag and a barefaced liar, apparently Jim Stynes reacted the same way. He is never welcome back to the club.

[bandicoot 1,395]

the voice of reason, but we are only kept alive to maintain the facade, not to win premierships. 'the play' this year required our membership to watch a player run around in name only and who certainly seemed to play dead in the second half of the year. but mark it, the afl which provides breakfast point for poached footballers and their families is an asset bubble which is built on the assumption that it will continue to grow and will eat into market share of entrenched rugby. without attracting rugby supporters western sydney will just be a sucker branch which sucks nutrients out of the main plant. grey and orange are appropriate colours for this parasitic body.

Do you know what the parasite to the competition is? 9 melbourne clubs in a city that can't support more than 4.

It's time for everyone to stop their emotional nonsense and get a grip on the 21st century.

AFL has caught up to every other sport in the world. Like I am free to leave my job and start another, so is Tom.

Yes the competing has thrown up a once in a lifetime anomaly (introducing 2 new teams in successive years) but this isn't the norm.

Once their well deserved handicap passes everything will be back to normal.

If one 2nd year player leaves (and we get 2 top 20 picks) then so be it.

Stop living in the past and keep expecting the game to be stuck in 1964.

By the way let me explain to you what happened back in your day:

Players were being poached all the time by the richer clubs

There were constant lies and deceit

There was no draft to keep the competition even

Rich clubs stayed on top

There was no salary cap

[daisycutter 28,688]

Do you know what the parasite to the competition is? 9 melbourne clubs in a city that can't support more than 4.

It's time for everyone to stop their emotional nonsense and get a grip on the 21st century.

AFL has caught up to every other sport in the world. Like I am free to leave my job and start another, so is Tom.

Yes the competing has thrown up a once in a lifetime anomaly (introducing 2 new teams in successive years) but this isn't the norm.

Once their well deserved handicap passes everything will be back to normal.

If one 2nd year player leaves (and we get 2 top 20 picks) then so be it.

Stop living in the past and keep expecting the game to be stuck in 1964.

By the way let me explain to you what happened back in your day:

Players were being poached all the time by the richer clubs

There were constant lies and deceit

There was no draft to keep the competition even

Rich clubs stayed on top

There was no salary cap

Don't you have any work to do at AFL-House this morning, andrew?

[old55 21,638]

It's time for everyone to stop their emotional nonsense and get a grip on the 21st century.

Stop making sense - you know it's time for teeth gnashing, hair tearing and weeping.

[bush demon 1,913]

Do you know what the parasite to the competition is? 9 melbourne clubs in a city that can't support more than 4.

It's time for everyone to stop their emotional nonsense and get a grip on the 21st century.

AFL has caught up to every other sport in the world. Like I am free to leave my job and start another, so is Tom.

Yes the competing has thrown up a once in a lifetime anomaly (introducing 2 new teams in successive years) but this isn't the norm.

Once their well deserved handicap passes everything will be back to normal.

If one 2nd year player leaves (and we get 2 top 20 picks) then so be it.

Stop living in the past and keep expecting the game to be stuck in 1964.

By the way let me explain to you what happened back in your day:

Players were being poached all the time by the richer clubs

There were constant lies and deceit

There was no draft to keep the competition even

Rich clubs stayed on top

There was no salary cap

wait a minute pal, i am not advocating bringing back the drop kick, although i am sorely tempted.

in 'my day', that is when i started following football two clubs that had never won a premiership became regular finalists and won premierships (hawthorn/stkilda), carlton and richmond had not won premierships for decades became regular premiers. north melbourne shortly after broke the drought driven by our Ron. melbourne dropped out of the loop because they wouldn't pay $$$ for recruitment. The poaching you refer to was mostly from interstate clubs to victoria ie polly farmer, denis marshall, barry cable and many others. that black history doesn't warrant dismantling victorian teams in 2011 just to create mathematical parity to accommodate pay TV scheduling. if the number of vic teams is reduced the whole pie collapses because the mcg (or any other stadiums) won't fill to watch greater western rugby versus gold coast sunshine. i favour a national competition but not one driven by mercenaries whether they be footballers or administrators.

[Armitage Shanks 0]

I can't help but think that the thugs in the scallop industry are behind this.

[Outside fifty 967]

I don't know, but to me it seems that the Scully family and western Sydney seem like a good fit. Apparently the icing on the cake was when Sheedy offered Tom a lucrative cut of the Falafel concession at the ground a la Harry Kewell and Victories arrangement.

[SidVicious 121]

Expose one lie and all the rest are illuminated.

Tom Scully isn't the devil. He's just a patsy for the Fat Cats, albeit an obscenely paid one.

This is a story that won't be told in the media for there are too many vested interests.

But make no mistake, The Tom Scully Saga points to the erosion of integrity in our great game.

Power, politics and greed ... it's all there.

It starts from the top and permeates down like a virus, resulting in the type of queasy spectacle we've had to watch today.

This is no longer the game my Dad used to take me to, which I grew up loving.

Footy lost a little bit of its soul today.

The common fan has been treated with utter contempt here. Lied to ad nauseum. Treated like the ignorant sheep they think we are

By everyone. BY the AFL. By GW$. By Tom Scully. And yes, by our very own beloved club.

Lies, cover ups and furphies from start to finish.

Discuss ...

Methinks you might have left out the real villain of the piece.

Does the name "Demir Dokic" ring a bell?

[Outside fifty 967]

I can't help but think that the thugs in the scallop industry are behind this.

I suspect your on to something here. We need the Club to call for an inquiry. I suggest the we get Rexy Hunt to chair it. He's crossed swords with these thugs before. If indeed the scallop industries tentacles have reached as far as GWS, Rexy will sort them out toot sweet. He wasn't born and breed in bay thirteen for nothing.

Edited September 13, 2011 by Outside fifty

[Guest Voice of the Common Fan]

Stop making sense - you know it's time for teeth gnashing, hair tearing and weeping.

Yeah, how dare people get upset about being lied to. The gall!

[TonyMelb 7]

Yeah, how dare people get upset about being lied to. The gall!

All footy supporters know the whole exercise over the weekend was a sham. takes at least a couple of hours to get to western sydney from the airport and Scully still had time to make a promotional video etc before phoning the MFC to advise them he had decided to go to GWS! Who do they think they are folling other than themselves.

Clearly MFC was behind the game when Vlad knocked back their 'extras'package which only seems to be availabel to Carlton!

Everyone I have spoken to in last 2 days regardless of which clubs they support have expressed with sadness the negative impact on the spirit of team and club that this has. However, regardless of whether MFC admin could have done anything to pursuade TS to stay at the MFC the absurd amount being reportedly paid to him at front end was impossible for any other club to get anywhere near. Certainly not what the clubs would have understoon they were agreeing to.

Cuts at the very fabric of AFL as a game.

Vlad and co have a lot to answer for as their fingerprints are all over this!

We dont have to look very far to see what the future holds if we allow our passion and the spirit of aussie rules to be diluted after the extraordinary outbusrt of that [censored] David Gallop on the weekend!