Today, Tom Scully, the Melbourne Football Club and Greater Western Sydney announced the worst kept secret in AFL this year, that 20 year old Tom Scully would be leaving the Demons and joining GWS. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘Tom Scully’
Tom Scully joins GWS
Monday, September 12th, 2011Fremantle vs. Melbourne – Round 16 Match Review
Monday, July 19th, 2010Fremantle – 11.16 (82)
Melbourne – 10.11 (71)
Fremantle blasted Melbourne in the first quarter and continued their good work in the second. The shocking happened though; Melbourne came back. They kicked seven unanswered goals and came within a point of the Dockers. Fremantle regained their composure to secure a fairly key win for them to stay in the hunt for the four. (more…)
Melbourne Mid-season Review
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010Current Ladder Position: 13th
Flag odds $201.00
ContestedFooty’s start of the year preview
13th-15th Melbourne do not want to be seen to be bottoming out any more and with Gold Coast stealing all the draft picks next year, you can’t blame them. Melbourne want to win more matches than they did last year… you’d hope so… but won’t say what their target is. Melbourne will push a lot of teams this year and they will win more than 4 games, but how many more? I’d say they could easily have won 6 last year if they weren’t tanking, so you would think that they would want to win 7 or 8 games. Wins against Fremantle and Richmond are keys to make making that happen. That many wins will normally land you 13th or 14th on the ladder.See the preview here. (more…)
Melbourne vs. Western Bulldogs – Round 7 Match Review
Friday, May 7th, 2010Melbourne – 9.12 (66)
Western Bulldogs – 10.10 (70)
The Bulldogs almost did what they did against St Kilda last week but kicked the two last goal when they needed to to secure the victory.
Melbourne failed to capitalise on opportunities in the first quarter; they kicked 0.6. From then on it was a hard slog to get back in to the game. Melbourne first hit the front at the six minute mark of the last quarter then followed it up with another ten minutes later. But it was not to be with the Dogs coming back from behind to win on a wet MCG. (more…)
Best Cheap Players for SuperCoach – Draftees
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010Remember to check out our other SuperCoach posts here.
When you are building a SuperCoach team you need some value players. Some players that aren’t going to break the bank, play some games and hopefully score you lots of points and go up in value. Draftees can be real cash cows (they have a high profit margin) because they start off cheap and if they get a few games they are likely to go up in value. It’s important for your success in SuperCoach that you pick some good cash cows that you can trade in later in the season for a gun player or two.
Jack Trengove
Midfielder, Melbourne, 174k
Trengove has been impressive at the Demons’ training this pre-season posting near best times in the yo-yo test (similar to the beep test). Trengove has overcome a hamstring strain that he suffered last year and has negotiated a modified program and is now with the main group training. As number two draft pick he is a shoe-in to pick for SuperCoach. I am pretty sure he will play round one injuries permitting.
Tom Scully
Midfielder, Melbourne, 179k
The first pick for Melbourne in last year’s draft and is a great prospect for SuperCoach this year. Just like Trengove he has been on a modified program but looks good to play round one. Scully is a great footballer and like Trengove has elite running ability. He should play round one and his stocks will definitely rise through the team. You can’t really afford not to select Trengove and Scully this year in SuperCoach.
Bradley Sheppard
West Coast, Defender, 149k
There is a shortage of defenders that went high in the draft so if you are after a cheap defender you will probably want to pick Sheppard in SuperCoach this year. After playing in the WAFL last year he should be used to the bigger bodies and play well in 2010. Sheppard has been named in the squad to play Essendon in the NAB Cup on Friday, so look out for him there.
Daniel Menzel
Geelong, Defender, 99k
Menzel is really a utility but backs are the hardest cash cows to come by in this year’s SuperCoach. Selected at number 17 he was the last player picked in the first round. A bargain price of $99,200 for Menzel ensures that he will be picked by a few coaches. It still remains to be seen if Menzel is going to be picked to play, so think about other players if Geelong don’t pick him for round one.
Max Gawn
Melbourne, Ruckman, 94k
The only reason I think that you should even consider Gawn is because Melbourne’s ruck stocks are so poor. The only fit ruckman that Melbourne has at the Moment is Stephan Martin and he is more of a tall utility than a ruckman. Normally I wouldn’t suggest a first year ruckman because they normally don’t get good until about their 3rd season or until they are over 21.
John Butcher
Port Adelaide, Forward, 144k
At 197cm, Butcher is a genuine tall forward. He has great agility and a great mark. He is one of the best, if not the best key position player in the draft. Port got a bit of a bargain; only using pick 8 on him. No word on round one yet but due to Port’s lack of tall forwards I would be tipping he does play if fit.
Andrew Moore
Port Adelaide, Forward, 139k
Moore is a medium forward with good agility. He played well in the Championships for Vic Metro. There is a great synergy that you can create in your team by selecting two players from the same club in to the same position because if one doesn’t get selected then the other is much more likely too. By selecting two Port players you are actually reducing your risk in the majority of cases. You never know if Port are going to have a good year or not anyway.
Some others for consideration:
Dustin Martin: Richmond, Midfielder, 169k. If you want another bargain midfielder then pick Martin. He wasn’t included in more detail because of Scullgove.
Anthony Morabito: Fremantle, Midfielder, 164k. There are plenty of midfielders to choose from this year.
Gary Rohan: Sydney, Forward or Midfielder, 154k. I would only select him as a forward because of the ease it is to get cash cows in the middle of the ground. He could prove to be inconsistent. Rohan doesn’t get that much leather.
Top 5 Most Important Players to Melbourne
Sunday, January 17th, 2010It’s always tough to do a top 5 of anything, let alone something that you love. In case you couldn’t tell yet I’m a biased Melbourne supporter. I am, however, not one of the fans that think next year is going to be the year they win the flag every year. I’m a lot more logical/statistical than that. With that in mind I don’t think Melbourne is really going to have a serious tilt at the flag until about 2012 or 2013. That’s why I have selected the players that I think have the potential to play a big part come September 2012.
1. Aaron Davey
Clearly the best player at the club at the moment. Could really develop in to a champion player if the Demons develop the rest of the midfield so that he doesn’t have to carry as much of the weight and the best tag every week. At 26 he probably is about to peak. In two and half years time when Melbourne are good again insha Allah (god willing).
2. Colin Sylvia
The player that most Melbourne supporters think is the one of the most talented. At 24 he will have to make big inroads this year to prove he can provide consistency over the course of the season, something he is yet to achieve. If Sylvia and the club manage to keep his personal troubles controlled then he could prove to be a very damaging player for the Dees.
3. Jack Watts
Doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Melbourne have a forward-line problem. Jack Watts is seen by many to be the answer to those problems. Whilst this attitude is short-sighted, it still holds some truth. The Demons need a key position forward, badly. Jack Watts on paper should provide that player. But has not yet managed to set the field alight with his game yet at AFL level unlike when he played juniors.
4. Jack Grimes
He had a fantastic 2009 down in the backline. Expect to see him move up the ground in 2010 because Melbourne’s defensive stocks are high at the moment and the midfield is lacking. Grimes is an exciting young player who has impressed me with the 12 games he has played at AFL level
5. Tom Scully
It’s no secret that the midfield more often than not win matches in the modern game. Therefore you need top talent in the midfield if you want to really want to beat the top sides. I could have had Trengove here as well but I just think that on balance Scully is the better footballer. We’ll see who has a better 2010 and I’ll re-evaluate.
Apologies to:
Cale Morton: great consistent young player just lacks a little bit of size and flair.
Nathan Jones: hard nut midfielder just lacks a bit of polish.
Liam Jurrah: Fantastic and exciting talent with the ability to do the mercurial. Worried that he is a flash in the pan.
Brent Maloney: Really good in the packs, not as good at kicking.
Matthew Bate: One dimensional; he just leads and marks.
All the backmen: There are just too many good ones to make one that important to make it in to the top 5.
Tom Scully Drafted at Pick 1 in the 2009 AFL Draft
Thursday, November 26th, 2009Tom Scully has been selected as priority pick number 1 in the 2009 AFL Draft, by the Melbourne Demons.
Draft pick number one and two were was always going to be Melbourne’s picks. There was also no doubt in anyone’s minds that both Tom Scully and Jack Trengove were going to be selected by Melbourne, but there has been uncertainty as to which player was going to go as pick number 1.
Tom Scully has the capacity to play as both an inside or outside role on the ball, Scully would make any club lucky enough to draft him happy. One of Scully’s most impressive traits is his ability to maintain a high level of professionalism. His refusal to consume alcohol has been widely reported and happily received by the footballing community as a sign he is willing to go the extra mile.
Read more about Tom Scully’s profile here…
Jack Tregrove is a big game player, and like Scully he is as comfortable playing an inside role as he is receiving the ball from teammates. Trengove showed an ability to sneak forward for the occasional goal during the championships, but he is at his best starting an attacking play with his desire to win the football and then put it to his teammate’s advantage.
Read more about Jack Trengove’s profile here…
Number 1 in the Draft – Scully or Trengove?
Monday, November 23rd, 2009There has been much talk about who Melbourne are going to take at number one in the 2009 NAB AFL Draft. Although the order of number one and number two makes no physical difference, as both one and two will be going to the Demons, AFL commentators and observers will be interested in the order they are drafted. The order does, however, matter to those to be drafted at one and two; who will most likely be Tom Scully and Jack Trengove, it may also show the direction that Melbourne are taking and possibly who they think can handle all the pressure of the tag of ‘number one draft pick’. The media probably won’t place as much emphasis on the tag of ‘number one’ because of Melbourne’s dual picks. To some extend they will end up sharing the crown of being the top duo of 2009.
Firstly I will explain why the notion that Melbourne will draft somebody higher than somebody else purely on the basis them handling the mantle better is ridiculous. AFL Football clubs are becoming more and more involved in sports psychology and making sure that their players are in peak mental fitness as well as physical fitness. This enables the clubs to better support stars of the game and make them focused on what they have to do and not what the media are saying. Notwithstanding that the top two draftees, know as Jam Scullgove, both have good heads on their shoulders. The idea that Scully cannot handle the pressure of being number one as well as Trengove is almost laughable. You just have to look at Scully’s football CV to see that he has no problem with the big stage. He was captain of Vic Metro and handled the pressure very well. If you have seen Scully speak you would appreciate that he knows what he is doing and understands how the media operate.
If Melbourne wanted to be seen as a very professional club they would draft Scully at number one because he doesn’t drink alcohol. That’s not to say the Trengove is unprofessional, just that Scully takes it to another level. If Melbourne want to look like a tougher club they will be looking at getting Trengove, who loves getting the ball from under a pack and takes a strong mark.
Trengove has said that he expects that Scully is going to be number one because “he’s an awesome player” and has no shortcomings. I think both players would love the opportunity to be number one. Scully and Trengove have worked very hard to be as good as they are and their goal after their seasons ended would to be drafted as high as possible by impressing the clubs as much as possible. Although Trengove skipped draft camp to train for a grand final and Scully was too injured to be measured in draft camp, they would have been looking to impress in interviews and in Trengove’s case, in the grand final
Not that any of this really matters outside of crazed Melbourne fans and football pundits, of which I am both (or at least pretend to be the latter), Tom Scully deserves to go at number one because I believe he is the better player now and will be in the future.
Tom Scully – 2009 AFL Draft Prospect
Monday, July 27th, 2009Tom Scully Update: Drafted by Melbourne as the first pick, Scully is already looking to have a promising future, read all articles involving him here.
Tom Scully
Age: 18
Statistic averages so far in the Under 18 Championships:
|
Team |
Vic Metro |
|
|
Matches |
5 |
|
|
Kicks |
9.8 |
|
|
Kicking Efficiency % |
61.2 |
|
|
Handballs |
15.4 |
|
|
Disposals |
25.2 |
|
|
Disposal Efficiency % |
76.2 |
|
|
Marks |
3.4 |
|
|
Contested Possessions |
9.4 |
|
|
Uncontested Possessions |
15.8 |
|
|
Clearances |
5.2 |
|
|
Tackles |
3.2 |
|
|
Goals |
0.6 |
|
|
Behinds |
0.4 |
|
Position: Inside/Outside Midfielder
History:
Tom Scully plays for Dandenong Stingrays and is the current captain of Victoria Metro in the Under 18 Championship. He has got All-Australian Honours twice in the Under-18s. An AIS-AFL graduate from Berwick, Scully probably would have been drafted last year if he was old enough. Tom Scully was awarded the Jack Collins-Alan Schwab Scholarship back in 2008.
This 182cm left footer is perhaps a little bit shorter than he’d like but is definitely determined to be a good player. He doesn’t party or drink alcohol, something that I certainly didn’t do when I was 18. He positively exudes professionalism on and off the field. He is also a very good interview which AFL recruiters like because it means the prospect has a good head on their shoulders and can deal with the media.
Scully is a very elite runner, he runs a 3km time trial in 9min 27sec, which is pretty special for a footballer. He is very well-respected by his team mates which is represented by his captaincy of Vic Metro. Scully is undoubtedly favourite to go number one in the 2009 AFL Draft.
Scully is reportedly a ready-made player and his body should be ready for round one just like Daniel Rich who was drafted in 2008. Tom Scully has a fantastic work-ethic and goes at the ball hard. He seems to know where the ball is going before others do; he reads the play exceptionally well for a young player. He also has good balance and radiates natural flair.
Scully is ranked second in the Under-18 league for disposals, fifth for contested possessions, sixth for uncontested possessions, first for handballs and third for clearances. This weight of numbers pushes him even further towards a likely number one selection. He is let down a little by how little he kicks and by his effectiveness when kicking. He also doesn’t kick as many goals as other midfielders and because of Geelong’s success this is expected of more and more midfielders.
This year’s last-placed team would be crazy not to take him at number one if they get that selection even if they need a forward, they can trade for a forward when they need one.
Further Reading
Tom Scully- The number one draft pick
Herald Sun Article- Talks about Scully and being the first selection in the 2009 draft.
Football Nation- a video of Scully in action.
Stats- A list of the 2009 NAB AFL Under 18 Championship stats
WAtoday- Talks about Scully and the gossip of him not wanting to go to Fremantle
Award Winner- Article about Tom Scully winning the Jack Collins-Alan Schwab Award
Herald Sun Article- Talks about Scully’s attitude and desire.
Nathan Brown Article- Raises the question of pressure on number 1 draft picks and talks about Tom Scully.
Football Nation- a video of Scully in action.
Stats- A list of the 2009 NAB AFL Under 18 Championship stats
WAtoday- Talks about Scully and the gossip of him not wanting to go to Fremantle
Award Winner- Article about Tom Scully winning the Jack Collins-Alan Schwab Award
Herald Sun Article- Talks about Scully’s attitude and desire.
Nathan Brown Article- Raises the question of pressure on number 1 draft picks and talks about Tom Scully.
Read about other 2009 AFL Draftees including Anthony Morabito, John Butcher and Jack Trengove
