TOM Scully and Jack Trengove will be forever linked together as the first two players chosen at the 2009 NAB AFL Draft.
In their first season with Melbourne, there was rarely a mention of one without the other's name also being spoken.
So it seemed only logical that on a day the media-shy Scully was the talk of the football world his teammate Trengove would be the one to step in and face the waiting media.
Talk of Scully joining Greater Western Sydney has grown in recent weeks, as he is still yet to put pen to paper for the Demons next year, and in Thursday's Herald Sun, chief football writer Mike Sheahan declared that Scully would be at the Giants next season.
But Trengove says he is not concerned that Scully has not yet signed on after making it clear early in the year that he would wait until season's end to talk contracts.
"I haven't read into that too much because I just assume he is going to be at the club next year," Trengove said.
"Right from the start I've said you want to build your team around having the best players and he is going to be one of the stars of the competition in years to come. I'm just worried about playing with him as long as I can for my career and hopefully he is at Melbourne."
Figures of millions of dollars have been bandied around but Trengove said Scully had more to consider than the size of his next pay cheque.
"I can't really step into his shoes because the offer is not coming to me. It's a lot of money but I don't believe playing footy is for the money and I've said that a few times now," he said.
"I think if you are enjoying your footy, money doesn't come into it. If he is going to be a long-term AFL player, he'll play for 13 or 15 years in my opinion so I don't think money will be an issue for him."
Trengove said Scully's future was not generally a topic of discussion around the club, with his teammates going by his statement earlier in the season that he wouldn't negotiate a contract until the year is done.
He also said the introverted Scully was unlikely speak about himself in any great detail.
"He's hearing it every day in the papers and the news. He's not the type of guy who will go out and talk about it in much depth. He'll probably keep it quiet and let things pan out how they will," he said.
"I think he's doing it with a lot of professionalism. He came out earlier in the year and said what he had to say. I think that was a great thing he did to put everything on the table. That is what the players have adhered to. We listen to what he said and we respect that. I think he's handling it very well."
Luke Holmesby covers Melbourne news for afl.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_LHolmesby
