FIND out what’s being said about the club in the major daily newspapers on Friday, July 22, 2011

Herald Sun
Jack Viney’s the lad for Dees
By Jay Clark

The only thing that worries Jack Viney on the football field is the prospect of his mother storming on to the ground.   The future Melbourne onballer is seen as an AFL-ready replacement for Tom Scully if, as expected, he heads to Greater Western Sydney. Already, Viney, 17, has a deep love for the club, having spent the past year there readying himself physically and mentally for the AFL. But Viney, at 178cm and 77kg, is not your neat-and-tidy type of midfielder. Rather, the Demons' father-son wrecking ball, who can't be drafted until November next year, has something of a ruthless streak in regards to his hard-edged attack on the ball. "I just see the ball and my first objective is to get it," Viney said. "I don't really see anyone else around me." Concerned by his fearlessness, Viney's mother, Meagan, has warned her boy to curb his on-field aggression. "She threatened me a couple of times that she will come on the ground and embarrass me because I get a bit aggressive," he said.

Melbourne midfielder Jack Trengove said money would not be the deciding factor in whether Tom Scully stays with the Demons or goes to Greater Western Sydney.  Trengove batted away a barrage of Scully questions after yesterday's Herald Sun story about 2009 No.1 draft pick Scully being "as good as gone" to the Giants on a multi-million-dollar deal. Trengove said he could not say what he would do in the same situation, but was sure money would not be the major issue. "I don't believe playing footy is for the money and I've said that a few times now," Trengove said. "If you're enjoying your footy, money doesn't really come in to it. If he's going to be a long-time AFL player, he'll play for probably 13-15 years, in my opinion, so money won't really be an issue for him." Trengove, the No.2 draft pick behind Scully, said he was happy to take his teammate at his word.

Jack Trengove is happy to take fellow Melbourne young gun Tom Scully at his word when the No.1 draft pick says he has yet to decide on his playing future.  Scully has been the centre of speculation that a multi-million move to Greater Western Sydney for the Giants' inaugural season in 2012 is a done deal. He and Trengove were the top two picks in the 2009 AFL Draft but there are fears that Scully will head north after just two seasons with the Demons. One of the reasons given is dissatisfaction among the players after captain James McDonald was pushed into retirement and Cameron Bruce left for Hawthorn. But Trengove today denied that was an issue and said he fully believed Scully, who has insisted he will not decide his playing future until the end of this season. "Obviously there's been a lot of talk about it but right from the start I've just listened to what he's said and I think he's a really honest person," Trengove said.

Tom Scully is not the only high-profile Melbourne player whose future is far from established with the Demons.  Scully is almost certain to be one of Greater Western Sydney's marquee players in their start up next year, while teammate Colin Sylvia is yet to decide whether he wants to continue his eight-year association with Melbourne. Sylvia is yet to be secured by the Demons, who may face a battle to retain him should he seek outside offers. Sylvia, 25, holds keen interest from several clubs, including Sydney, which has him on a list of players it will investigate further over the next two months as potential trade options in October. It is understood the Swans have a high opinion of the versatile Sylvia, an aggressive midfielder who is also a noted goal-kicking forward. Sydney will have an abundance of room to manoeuvre in its salary cap next year with the retirements this year of Craig Bolton and Daniel Bradshaw, and the possible retirement of Irishman Tadhg Kennelly. The Swans have enjoyed considerable success with their recruiting of experienced players from other clubs. Sylvia's future could become clearer next month following a scheduled meeting between Melbourne list manager Tim Harrington and Sylvia's management company, Stride.

MELBOURNE took a 19-point lead into the half-time break against Hawthorn in round two this year, after leading by as much as 27 points in the second term. The Demons lost the match by 45 points and soon found themselves on board ''the rollercoaster'' of highs and lows. Coach Dean Bailey and several players have made reference to ''the rollercoaster'' this year and Jack Trengove yesterday said it was time to end the frustrating ride and play more consistent football. ''We've had a bit of an up and down season,'' he said ahead of Sunday's match against the Hawks, which is the first of four consecutive games the Demons play against top five sides.