diesel

I think that's it. GWS have been played. I said months ago as the talk ramped up that GWS couldn't afford NOT to get $cully. They would have been left with a massive amount of egg on their faces and no credibility in the market if their main target rejected their overtures. To back this up, MFC said they made one "responsible" offer and never got into third party deals. My conclusion based around the remaining evidence is that $cully was always going, from early in the year and his management have been working away in the background to get him the best deal, perhaps due to thoughts of his limited longevity in the game?

I won't be surprised if $cully plays 22 games next year with no knee problem but I couldn't care less now he's not an MFC player. If it is true that he will have some ongoing issues it doesn't look good for him in terms of building up his body which is still way too light to break or stick tackles.

Is it just me or does Trenners look like he's giving Jurrah an uppercut? Maybe you should have moved $cully into Liams spot for a bit?

You mean the pi55 don't you? Worth putting out there still given the innuendo put out there about the MFC and it's players in China contrasted against an organisation that Tom Scully had allegedly never had contact with up until Sunday morning! Was amazed he could make an assessment of how much better the culture was after 4 or 5 hours!

The coach still does though!! Sheedy was half pi55ed when he spilt the beans about Tom's signing to some of Journos last Friday (specifically Tom Steinfort)....... Twitter convo at lunch last Friday went like this: MFelgate7 Michael Felgate @tomsteinfort and what is the latest with scully? When will we have announcement? tomsteinfort Tom Steinfort @MFelgate7 Will let ya know, Sheeds is powering through the beers so should spill all their signings in the next hour or so.... tomsteinfort Tom Steinfort Sheedy just hinted very strongly to me that Tom Scully will be announced as a GWS player next Monday tomsteinfort Tom Steinfort To clarify - I said "what day next week will you announce Scully's signing?", Sheeds said "the early bird catches the worm" The titular head of the organisation is a well known long-time pi55head. Let's not paint GWS has a holier than though quasi religious tee-totaling organisation. They won't attract a single corporate sponsor without an ample supply of alcohol which = drinking culture. Some players may be able to divorce themselves from that, good luck to them! There is no way none of them will imbibe. PS: Not to turn this into a $cully thread but this should also serve as further evidence that he is a lying S.O.B. in relation to if/when he agreed to sign up.

They are going to be putting him between the big sticks to try and stop the ball getting through. Expect him to see a lot of action.

Been doing all of that and have now moved to an anti-expansion footing. Some might call that narrow minded but I won't make a bit difference to me if some kid in Western Sydney decides to play AFL. Even if in 30 years they start producing players they will all be priority zone picks for GWS or Sydeney!

That would be the reality left to their own devices. Unfortunately the AFL won't allow it to happen and they will continue to bend the rules however they need to keep them from embarrassing themselves and the AFL.

Agree, we need to move on ASAP. However, is there a more hypocritical organisation than the AFL which is preaching restraint and crying poor over the players collective bargaining agreement whilst paying above the odds to get players to GC & GWS?

The club has. They 'tweeted' it an hour ago and it has since been reported on radio. They should wait now until Scully says his bit before responding. There may be issues in the GWS presser which we need to respond to.

They're lying and full of BS. Only a simpleton would now believe otherwise.

I'm hovering, waiting and as soon as I know my money will be well spent I'll be faxing my pledge through to the club for the 100% Melbourne campaign. Clubs, success and premierships are never built around one individual, even less so when there are individuals who are uncommitted.

Surely Hutchy would want to get him at the other end? Or are they travelling together? Like most of Hutchy's door stops I would tip this was prearranged. By GWS in this case.

I really have to question the leadership at Casey after watching today. The message from the coach at quarter & 3 quarter time was mono tone. He wanted the players to take the game on but there was no run and the safe option was taken all day. Werribee played a man (or two) back all day, plugged the space in front of Fev and then ran like cut cats forward at every turn-over. Inexplicable really how inept the whole performance was!

Unless your a dog, then they become extremely useful!

Melbourne supporters by and large would be too smart to respond to market research. Whenever I get canvassed I always like to start off by asking how long it will take so I can work out if I should charge on a time basis or per question. Mind you they usually don't get to asking me questions. On the other hand if you're a Collingwood supporter you would probably welcome social interaction with a canvasser or telemarketer and would be happy to bang on about the most important part of your miserable pathetic existence. I'm tipping that all this survey shows is that Melbourne have a lot of supporters who are on the do-not-call register or who hung-up shortly after saying "mind your own business"

Anyone know why this article from Mrs reliable only yesterday is not available via the Melbourne "club" page on The Age website? It appears under Caro's banner only. The Wilson article from 5 days earlier stating that Tom was undecided is still on the club page B)

Might as well shut down this board if spreading BS isn't allowed!

I'm guess I'm in the above category.

You can believe what you want to believe. I would tip the news Scully may visit GWS was dribbled to the media by his management. Comments form Robbo are nice but Robbo never had wads of cash waved in his face. Cast your mind back to Judds return to Victoria. I clearly remember media hoards following Judd around Visy Park while he was being briefed on their new training facilities, Judd shaking hands with Swan. Judd even speaking to the media afterwards. There was no similar scenario when he spoke to the other clubs which were allegedly in the mix for his signature (Melbourne included). The reason was that the deal with Carlton was struck weeks, perhaps months earlier sourced all the way back to a chance meeting with Dick Pratt at the Melbourne Cup. Keep in mind also that Judd moved for money, pure and simple, no romance of coming back to Melbourne to lead the club from the mire it was in at that point in time.

No way, disagree. If Tom was in any doubt about going to GWS his "visit" would have been conducted incognito (maybe he has been there already?). Imagine the embarrassment of the AFL & GWS if Tom goes up there with the media in tow and then says "thanks, but no thanks" It is an exercise to appease supporters that he has done his due diligence and carried the making of the "decision" to the very end. This is a stage managed exercise building up to his signing. Anyone who believes otherwise is just being sucked in IMO. As part 2 of the exercise you can expect expressions of much regret about leaving the MFC and his team mates, but the $$$ offer and chance to start a new pioneering franchise being just too good. I almost feel like vomiting just thinking about it.

We're entitled to complain about something separately that is out of our control. Were you an umpire? You sound like Jeff Geischen!

An absolute joke, holding the ball rulings just give me the shits. The missed mark. Motlop holding the ball, Port deliberate out-of-bounds. I feel like getting a video copy of this game and going through it to ask the AFL for an explanation! I hope the club does? And so people know we're not whinging the Port supporters around me were giggling throughout. Umpires were clearly sucked in by the occasion.

Happens once a year for two weeks! TS has been dodging the issue since late last year. Loyalty is about commitment, not just turning up for work.

Conversely the thought has crossed my mind that the whole knee soreness thing has been a ruse all year to dampen expecations in relation to his game i.e. put him on ice. After all at the point he would have agreed to go to GWS (probabaly before the year began) his commitment becomes as a GWS player, despite what he would say.