FIND out what’s being said about the club in the major daily newspapers on Thursday, June 16, 2011

Herald Sun

World won’t end if Scully defects
By Mark Stevens

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou yesterday bristled at suggestions it would be a bad look for the game if Tom Scully defected to Greater Western Sydney.  As speculation about the Melbourne No.1 pick's future continued, Demetriou pointed to past examples of prized youngsters departing to other clubs. "I don't have a view on it, because it's happened before and the world hasn't fallen apart." Demetriou named Shannon Grant, Anthony Rocca, Jeff White and Nathan Buckley as examples and said the onus was on clubs to re-sign their players. "If my memory serves me correctly, Shannon Grant left Sydney and came to North, Jeff White the No.1 draft pick went to Fremantle and came back to Melbourne ... and there wasn't a storm about it. "I think Anthony Rocca was another one ... Nathan Buckley was another one."

The Australian

Scully given blessing to jump ship
By The Australian

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou would have no problem with rising Melbourne star Tom Scully jumping ship to join Greater Western Sydney.  There is growing speculation that Scully, the 2009 No 1 draft pick, will leave the Demons at the end of this campaign and join the AFL's 18th team for its debut season. Scully would probably be the Giants' banner signing if he goes -- this year's version of the Gary Ablett move to Gold Coast. Demetriou scoffed at the suggestion that it might be a bad look for the game if a high draft pick went to an expansion club after only a couple of seasons. He said the existing clubs had backed the concession rules granted to expansion teams Gold Coast and GWS. "Was it a good look when Jeff White went to Melbourne (from Fremantle)? Did you write an (outraged) piece that said you were horrified and the sky was going to fall apart?" Demetriou said. "It's an expansionary thing supported by the clubs, that had clubs on the working party that devised the list concessions -- let's be clear about that. It is incumbent on a club -- and most of the clubs have done it pretty successfully -- to re-sign their players. "Whoever we're talking about, I hope they stay with their club, I like players staying at their clubs, but it's not my decision."