Tom doesn't know the meaning of fun and they are in for worse than they have shown .

Wait till everyone gets the hell out of there and goes back home .

We , as a club ,are in a dark place but the light will appear soon .

i hope you are right, i really do. Until then i tread carefully and shall practise my "i told you so's" in solitude.

Edited July 24, 201213 yr by The Song Formerly Known As

I'll try to help you get it straight.

Not ALL the teams' recruiting managers inflate potential draftees' worth. I'm suggesting the managers without high draft picks might try to influence those that do.

Melbourne wouldn't be the only victims. Other sides with picks 1 to 5 or 6 would be vulnerable too. Though lately it seems Melbourne's high picks have fared worse than some of our lowly peers.

Not so improbable, or "fanciful"is it? Perhaps it contributes to the "bad recruiting". I agree that player development is a critical factor also.

It is interesting how the "experts" all seem to agree on who are the top picks, and yet when, in the fullness of time, they show their worth,there often is a wide deviation from the outcome they all agreed on to be likely at draft time.

Totally improbable and fanciful

Nothing you've said there has swayed my vision

These kids are regarding as top 3 picks etc. because they dominate junior footy, this doesn't translate often, as the "elite" junior attributes they have are simply average in the big leagues.

Scully's elite fitness and running = standard AFL levels of fitness

He may've run 17 year olds ragged, but he ain't going to run Dane Swan ragged

That, coupled with a poor coach, poor gameplan, it's little wonder these guys didn't develop

Put an 18 year old Scully into a 2007 - 2011 team of Geelong, he'll look a damn sight better than an 18 year old Scully at multiple wooden spoon winning Melbourne

I know one of Scully's junior coaches. Said to me pre draft, player of a generation, best junior he'd seen come through in blah blah

It wasn't just other recruiters talking him up to trick Melbourne into taking him....it was universally accepted he was a lock for # 1

i think this may be true - always far easier to be a good player in a great team. Save the $ IMO

Maybe the club has already done that ?

"....it was universally accepted he was a lock for # 1"

____________________________________________________________________________________

Exactly my point, Viney 12.

Edited July 25, 201213 yr by JUMPING JACK CLENNETT

JJC, he looked the goods early from every angle but was found wanting against mature athletes. This in conjuction with the fact that he pyscially developed like a unick and at the same time developed a dodgy knee due to overload have severly effected his ability to perform.

Let's not even get into his personality deficiencies as that is off topic but I reckon that Dipper story / dummy spit is a ripper (sorry I couldn't help it).

Whilst your theory may have some merit, I think it may be a bit dramatic.

Far be it for me to support Tom but it shows exactly the predicament Melbourne is in. You can't bring in raw talent without proper senior player leadership. Throwing in Junior and Chad Cornes was never going to cut it.

Ablett was a proven performer and could be relied upon. $cully will take years to come good if ever. IN fact it may damage his development to the point that he never makes it as an A grade player.

In fairness to him he would have copped a lot of scrutiny in Melbourne at the Dees so he might as well cop it at GWS and comfort himself with the $6mill!!!! He is basically too small with an average kick but a tremendous work ethic. The fact that he has a dodgy knee means he could be a complete dud.

I have a sneaking suspicion that Sheedy targetted him because of his hatred for Melbourne. And I hope they both suffer big time for it.

Still far too early to be making any calls on whether we win out on this.

Certainly, at this stage, he has been underperforming big time. I check the stats for GWS games each week and Scully is consistently accumlating far further possesions than his midfield team mates.

The likes of Greene, Bugg, and Ward seem to perform consitently well, but not Tom. His dreamteam scores are also mediocre.

However, as I said at the outset, it is too early to call and we'll see how things look in 5 years time.

Far be it for me to support Tom but it shows exactly the predicament Melbourne is in. You can't bring in raw talent without proper senior player leadership. Throwing in Junior and Chad Cornes was never going to cut it.

Ablett was a proven performer and could be relied upon. $cully will take years to come good if ever. IN fact it may damage his development to the point that he never makes it as an A grade player.

In fairness to him he would have copped a lot of scrutiny in Melbourne at the Dees so he might as well cop it at GWS and comfort himself with the $6mill!!!! He is basically too small with an average kick but a tremendous work ethic. The fact that he has a dodgy knee means he could be a complete dud.

I have a sneaking suspicion that Sheedy targetted him because of his hatred for Melbourne. And I hope they both suffer big time for it.

Agree with everything you say Jnr

Except the last line, no one is that silly.

He was a No1 pick and GWS wanted the publicity and glory.

Still far too early to be making any calls on whether we win out on this.

Certainly, at this stage, he has been underperforming big time. I check the stats for GWS games each week and Scully is consistently accumlating far further possesions than his midfield team mates.

The likes of Greene, Bugg, and Ward seem to perform consitently well, but not Tom. His dreamteam scores are also mediocre.

However, as I said at the outset, it is too early to call and we'll see how things look in 5 years time.

I like Greene. He'd be one I would pay overs for. Anyone see him take on Jamar on the boundary line when Ward flattened Grimes ?

"....it was universally accepted he was a lock for # 1"

____________________________________________________________________________________

Exactly my point, Viney 12.

He was universally accepted as a lock for # 1 as he was that good in the juniors, not because opposition clubs / recruiting managers etc. spruiked him on false pretences

Still have my theory that he had all but decided to go north before the day he was even drafted to the MFC.

Scully was the standout in his draft year, which given the standard 2 year deals meant that this was the draft crop that would be coming out of contract when GWS entered the comp. And I think GWS wanted to stockpile as much young talent from that age bracket as they could, hence the recruiting of Davis, Palmer, Ward, and Scully, when compared to Ablett, Rischitelli, Brennan, Brown etc, so they would have had their eyes on his draft crop to try and cherry pick the best player and throw a big chunk of their abundant cap space at him.

Trengove and Tapscott sign deals for an extra year, but Tom knocks back the deal, deciding to stick with the standard 2 year deal. This happened very soon after he was drafted, leaving the door open to move at the end of the 2011 season to GWS.

Tom Scully circa 1996.

Agree with everything you say Jnr

Except the last line, no one is that silly.

He was a No1 pick and GWS wanted the publicity and glory.

What? Sheedy?? I reckon he could be. He carries a grudge against the Dees and has vented often.

I agree that most normal ppl wouldn't do such a thing but Sheeds is anything but normal. After all given they could virtually have picked up anyone in the comp why would they choose Tom?? He's not a 'marquee' player like Ablett that you can build a franchise around. Personally I was amazed they choose him.

The whole thing stinks. He is not even worthy of the number one tag. Our number one that we chose.

Amateur hour at its finest.

Someone asked Caroline wilson on Footy Classified last night what she rated scully out of 10 for his performance this year.

She gave him a 3/10, think she was being generous.

If he was an average 3rd year player on an average salary then a 3/10 performance rating this season seems appropriate.

For a No 1draft pick and arguably highest payed AFL player in the comp he should rate 0/10 on a performance scale expected for that calibre of player.

I agree she has been very generous.

What? Sheedy?? I reckon he could be. He carries a grudge against the Dees and has vented often.

I'm with you Jmac.

Sheedy wanted pay back bad.

I'm with you Jmac.

Sheedy wanted pay back bad.

Well if he did it has sadly backfired so far.

But the six year / $6 million contract is still young

Well if he did it has sadly backfired so far.

But the six year / $6 million contract is still young

Thats called karma.

There it is, post no.6 - the 'Scully's good, we're crap' guy. There's always one.

Well here is a 2nd.

At least his GWS team hasn't been beaten by 186

Well here is a 2nd.

At least his GWS team hasn't been beaten by 186

Give it time, there's a few games left yet.

Give it time, there's a few games left yet.

Let's hope!

Scully lost nothing leaving Melbourne. One win the difference and no scrutiny and stacks of cash in Sydney. Thread title just silly.

I really fear for our club right now. Little to get excited about.

Scully lost nothing leaving Melbourne. One win the difference and no scrutiny and stacks of cash in Sydney. Thread title just silly.

I really fear for our club right now. Little to get excited about.

we dont lose by 80 every week and if you don't think there's going to be a ton of scrutiny on him very soon if he continues to get 5 or 6 kicks a week then you are the silly one

we dont lose by 80 every week and if you don't think there's going to be a ton of scrutiny on him very soon if he continues to get 5 or 6 kicks a week then you are the silly one

Wait 'til the snide remarks and jealous whispers about him starts in the changerooms from his teammates, if it hasn't already.

The whole thing has the potential to be hugely destabilizing through their playing list.

Wait 'til the snide remarks and jealous whispers about him starts in the changerooms from his teammates, if it hasn't already.

The whole thing has the potential to be hugely destabilizing through their playing list.

its where karma is spelt $cull-da !!