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TOM Scully was 14 when he clicked into AFL mode. When his mates were enjoying their youth, the determined inside midfielder made key commitments to football.
When Scully's mates were enjoying their youth, the ferociously determined inside midfielder made some key commitments to football.
He would not drink alcohol.
He would not go out partying.
And he would not miss a training session.
Aside from injury (osteitis pubis from over-training), the Dandenong Stingrays' captain has kept every one of those promises over the past four years and is the early stand-out No. 1 selection in this year's national draft.
"I don't drink at all, I've never drunk in my life," Scully said.
"I'm just not interested and my friends know that and they respect me for it, because they all know where I want to go.
"I knew when I was in the under-14s and all my mates were out going to parties and drinking, but I was in the Stingrays and all I wanted to do was really make it there, so I just said then, 'I'm not going to do that stuff'."
Likened to a mix of strong-willed Brisbane Lions onballer Luke Power and smooth-moving Richmond midfielder Trent Cotchin, the impressively mature Scully is an elite runner with exceptional skills and toughness.
He won All-Australian honours at the national under-18 carnival last year as a bottom age player, and recently showed his first-class fitness, blitzing a 3km time trial in 9min 27sec.
To put that into context, Chris Judd broke a Carlton record running 3.2km in 10:30 in December.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Scully, 17, said he idolised Geelong's Joel Selwood and had tried to emulate the young Cat's mature approach on and off the field.
"In my younger days it was Nathan Buckley and James Hird but now I try to model my game on Joel Selwood because he's just so hard at it," he said.
"He's a superstar, he has all the attributes and I just love the way he goes about it all."
Stingrays region manager Darren Flanigan first watched the left-footer five years ago and said the 182cm playmaker, who was best afield gathering 34 possessions in the TAC Cup season-opener last weekend, was the best talent he'd seen come through the Dandenong program in nine years.
"His attention to detail is incredible, he has the best preparation of any kid I've seen," Flanigan said.
"He is the complete package, he gets to the contests, he is clean on both feet and he dominates the one percenters as much as he dominates the regular stats."
The AIS-AFL graduate from Berwick demonstrated as much in the TAC Cup last season, averaging 27 touches, 12 contested possessions and nine handball receives a game.
According to Champion Data, he had fewer than 23 disposals only once for the year.
One AFL scout said: "It is only early and lots of things can happen but at this stage he's the number one (pick at this year's draft). The club that drafts him will be very happy they've got a super young player."
Scully, who was seriously impressive as an interviewee but remains a shy, humble teen by nature, doesn't wish to attract attention, Flanigan said.
"He doesn't like being made a fuss of, but we made him captain because he is just so well respected by the team," he said. "It's something he will have to learn and get used to."
I know it's early but really this what I'm looking forward to! Supposedly an absolute freak down at the Rays. Anyone seen him play?
When Scully's mates were enjoying their youth, the ferociously determined inside midfielder made some key commitments to football.
He would not drink alcohol.
He would not go out partying.
And he would not miss a training session.
Aside from injury (osteitis pubis from over-training), the Dandenong Stingrays' captain has kept every one of those promises over the past four years and is the early stand-out No. 1 selection in this year's national draft.
"I don't drink at all, I've never drunk in my life," Scully said.
"I'm just not interested and my friends know that and they respect me for it, because they all know where I want to go.
"I knew when I was in the under-14s and all my mates were out going to parties and drinking, but I was in the Stingrays and all I wanted to do was really make it there, so I just said then, 'I'm not going to do that stuff'."
Likened to a mix of strong-willed Brisbane Lions onballer Luke Power and smooth-moving Richmond midfielder Trent Cotchin, the impressively mature Scully is an elite runner with exceptional skills and toughness.
He won All-Australian honours at the national under-18 carnival last year as a bottom age player, and recently showed his first-class fitness, blitzing a 3km time trial in 9min 27sec.
To put that into context, Chris Judd broke a Carlton record running 3.2km in 10:30 in December.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Scully, 17, said he idolised Geelong's Joel Selwood and had tried to emulate the young Cat's mature approach on and off the field.
"In my younger days it was Nathan Buckley and James Hird but now I try to model my game on Joel Selwood because he's just so hard at it," he said.
"He's a superstar, he has all the attributes and I just love the way he goes about it all."
Stingrays region manager Darren Flanigan first watched the left-footer five years ago and said the 182cm playmaker, who was best afield gathering 34 possessions in the TAC Cup season-opener last weekend, was the best talent he'd seen come through the Dandenong program in nine years.
"His attention to detail is incredible, he has the best preparation of any kid I've seen," Flanigan said.
"He is the complete package, he gets to the contests, he is clean on both feet and he dominates the one percenters as much as he dominates the regular stats."
The AIS-AFL graduate from Berwick demonstrated as much in the TAC Cup last season, averaging 27 touches, 12 contested possessions and nine handball receives a game.
According to Champion Data, he had fewer than 23 disposals only once for the year.
One AFL scout said: "It is only early and lots of things can happen but at this stage he's the number one (pick at this year's draft). The club that drafts him will be very happy they've got a super young player."
Scully, who was seriously impressive as an interviewee but remains a shy, humble teen by nature, doesn't wish to attract attention, Flanigan said.
"He doesn't like being made a fuss of, but we made him captain because he is just so well respected by the team," he said. "It's something he will have to learn and get used to."
I know it's early but really this what I'm looking forward to! Supposedly an absolute freak down at the Rays. Anyone seen him play?
Looks good though.
