A tale of two draft picksAndrew Wu
The Age
June 16, 2012TOM Scully is only a week away from renewing acquaintances with the club he controversially left last year, but it's an opponent today, Dustin Martin, with whom he is set to share a more substantial rivalry.
The pair are as different off the field as they are on. Scully is a graduate from Haileybury College in Melbourne, while Martin left school in year nine and headed to Sydney to work in his father's trucking business.
On the field, Scully's endurance, skill and consistency in the midfield were highly rated by talent scouts, while Martin was renowned for his explosiveness and ability to push forward and rapidly change the complexion of games.
But separated by just two picks in the 2009 draft, they will be linked throughout their careers, as pundits and fans scrutinise their performances and value.
Greater Western Sydney and Richmond have enough young talent to become forces in the medium- to long-term future and the fortunes of Scully, a $6 million acquisition for the Giants from Melbourne, and Martin will be pivotal factors.
Despite his lofty price tag, Scully has this year been given more defensive roles. Instead of being allowed to freewheel and dictate terms, Scully has regularly been asked to shadow the opposition's most dangerous midfielder, including Gold Coast's Gary Ablett and Essendon's Brent Stanton.
The strategy, Scully said, was designed to help him develop into a more rounded player.
''They [elite midfielders] get a lot of the footy and even when they are being tagged the positions they put themselves in to still win the ball, they've got a lot tricks,'' Scully said. ''[It's] for me to learn that and how many different positions I need to play to be an elite midfielder.''
The benefits of handing Scully this less glamorous role are twofold. It prevents rival clubs from tagging him and also forces the Giants' raft of budding young midfielders to win the ball for themselves.
''The young guys have really shown that when they have been given senior roles playing in the centre bounce or around the footy, they've been able to win the ball and show they're really capable at AFL level,'' Scully said.
Longer term, however, Scully has ambitions for more creative roles, but he understands the importance of defence.
''If we can all learn to become really good defensive players - everyone on our list has got great offensive skills - the margin between us being a good side and a very good side is how well we defend,'' Scully said.
The Tigers have played to Martin's strengths and largely played him in the midfield and in attack, allowing him more chances to showcase his skills.
''[They're] both outstanding in their own way, but definitely different type of players,'' said Richmond recruiting manager Francis Jackson.
''Tom had endurance and his running capacity is outstanding. He wins a lot of footy uncontested and can also win his own footy and Dustin's more inside.''
Despite their different roles, their numbers are largely similar in key areas such as average touches, disposal efficiency, the ratio of contested to uncontested possessions. Martin, however, averages a goal a game whereas Scully has kicked only eight from 40 games. So who is the more valuable of the two?
''Sometimes it is a little bit hard to measure up,'' Jackson said.
''Someone's possessions might be more contested but are they worth more than someone who might win more uncontested.
''No one will be able to determine who is the better player until the end of their careers but they can rest assured they're going to have fantastic long-term players.''
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