old55

It's not another story - it IS that story. 2011 1st rounders wont outbid 1st rounders that have a 5 year use-by-date. And a club would have to offer a very good player to trump those 5 year picks. We'd be in a very good position to snare those picks - or at least one of them with one of ours. We could add an experienced player like Bate to the mix - it could be a good deal for GWS. If we lose Scully we want stars - even 17yo stars. You mentioned a 23-26yo star as a target and that would be lovely - but give me one feasible example.

Especially 1st round picks good for use in any of the next 5 years - they're not going to trade for 2011 1st round picks - they've already got heaps. We'd be competing against player trades - I think it's a very good angle.

It's very tough to resist the Siren's Scully call and not steer the ship to the rocks. Redouble the crews bees wax and have them tighten those knots.

Yes you can trade the compensation picks - Geelong traded one to GC for pick 15 last year. If it's a pick with a position tied to another draft pick it's tied to the club the compensation pick was awarded to, not the club receiving the pick.

Looks like the anti-Scully thread has sprung a leak - the skipper appears to have put an axe through the hull.

Where's Choco in that list? It appears GWS has him stitched up - surely Sheeds can't really be coaching there? But I wonder how Choco feels about having him around - a bit like Malthouse - Buckley? I really rate Choco.

Here's a source: http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/3aw-football-blog/afls-compensation-for-geelong/20100929-15x7e.html That point about the 2010 and 2011 drafts causes some confusion I think

That's not what Geelong got for Ablett. They got: - 1st rounder after their pick - 1st rounder after all non-finals teams, i.e. pick 11 in an 18 teams competition if there's no other special picks like priority picks or compensation picks before it. If 2 clubs have the same pick level e.g. Melbourne and Geelong, then I assume the lower finishing club would pick first.

Scully at MFC in 2012 > MM at Pies in 2012

Eddie said Heath was on his "last chance" in the car fiasco - wonder if he'll follow thru? Great 24 hrs for the Pies.

That says everything though doesn't it? We see this whole saga through our own lens on the world and project our values on Tom.

On the other hand ...

how'd he go at Casey?

That's rubbish - we have to offer Tom a sustainable amount that enables us to pay our other required players what they deserve too. The only argument that stands up is that we'd have $600K/year to look at other players - that's what it's costing us.

You're comparing the wrong things ... If he waits till the end of the season & selects GWS ... all media hell will still break loose. If he selects GWS now ... twice as much media hell will break loose. I agree it will be a media [censored]-storm when he does decide at the end of the season, either way. But it will be twice as bad if he decides NOW to go to GWS and announces it. There'll be feral MFC supporters picketing training, demanding he's played in Casey 2s and booing him in the process. That will derail our season much worse than if we wait patiently.

If he looks at it now and decides to take the GWS offer, because he is an honest man he will have to announce it and all hell will break loose.

You failed to address the key point in my argument - your whole argument pre-supposes that he's going to sign with MFC. What if he decides to go to GWS - a very real possibility IMO - he has to announce it at the start of 2011 season or during it - and that just leads to massive gnashing of teeth and a massive problem for the club. The practical outcome is exaclty the same if he leaves the decision until the end of the season. He's playing GWS from 2012 either way BTW I think it's a real possibility he'll sign with MFC too and the club appears to be doing everything to promote this outcome (unlike Thompson with Ablett). Those supporters who continue to believe in him are also promoting this outcome. Then there are others who have given up.

Oh come on - there would be demands that he played every match for Casey 2s and "supporters" would boo him. It would put the club in an invidious position - a position we have potentially been spared by Tom making a wise choice about when to consider his decision. From all this I get that Tom has foresight, is very tough and steadfast and is well-advised. MFC have also worked fantastically alongside him. Some despair, I don't.

Tom Scully is going to sign with MFC or with GWS. There's a question about timing. If he makes a decision sometime before the end of the 2011 season and that decision happens to be that he's staying at MFC we'll all rejoice, however if it happens to be that he's going to GWS he will be crucified by the feral elements who exist in our supporter base - as quite clearly seen in this thread. Or alternatively he could make that decision and lie. He and his management foresaw this problem and he's done none of these things. He's put off making a decison until the end of the year. The only damage caused by this is to the weak-minded who can't handle the pressure of having to wait - not surprisingly they're the same ones who'd be at the head of the crucifiction mob. Tom Scully can stand the pressure - that's what make him who he is.

Well how about what the participants have said ... 1. Blucher said MFC tabled a formal offer. 2. Blucher said he went to GWS for a formal competing offer because he'd be negligent if he didn't. 3. GWS supplied a competing offer. 4. Tom said he doesn't need to know about it until the end of the year like he has always said - he's a man of his word and he has a strong will - e.g. never drinking alcohol. Tom and his management are smart - they realise that it's entirely possible that Tom will accept the GWS offer but that it's entirely untenable if he does that before the end of the season so they aren't looking at it until then. 5. Blucher confirmed he told Tim Harrington what the GWS offer is. 6. MFC told Mike Sheahan that 2 offers had come on the table because it supports what Tom has been saying all along. 7. Schwab confirmed this in his conversation with Schwarz and co. Tom is not lying - offers have just been tabled. 8. Sheahan went to Blucher and said I know that there's a formal offer from MFC and from GWS now - what have you got to say? Return to point 1. or alternatively they're all lying - Blucher, Scully, Schwab.

B-I-N-G-O! I see you found the mirror, now all you need to do is recognise your own reflection. It's not that hard to understand.

Schwarz is quite clearly implying Scully lied at his press conference. If you put any credence in this information you are too.

GWS can take Thomas for NOTHING as an uncontracted player if he is willing to go there. Why would they trade pick 1 to Collingwood for him when they don't need to? They'll use pick 1 on Coniglio or Patton and take Thomas and Scully as uncontracted players if they can. I think your Buckley comparison is accurate and I think your reasoning that someone like Tom would want to play in an environment like Collingwood is possible, but even if this was true there is no believable way he can get there.

Buy blanks when Scully signs.

"Gone" was the word you agreed with, not "will go ... when the big coin [that would] eventually be thrust under his nose". And no I wouldn't say that about "Events since then" at all. Indeed you do have your view - it's that Tom lied.