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Scully Handballs Under Pressure

The AFL Supplementary Selection Period (SSP) ended on March 9 with eight clubs selecting 12 players. Several had been delisted by other clubs and were invited to train with other clubs in the hope of being selected. Below are the clubs and their selections.

ADELAIDE
NICHOLAS MURRAY (Williamstown), 20, 193cm (6'2"), 92kg (202), defender
Versatile tall defender who missed out on the past two drafts since playing with the GWS reserves in 2019. Signed with Willamstown last year and played two practice games before the pandemic. He returned to NSW and played in the Riverina League where he kicked 12 goals, showing he can also play forward. Has been training with the Crows since January and played both preseason games.

CARLTON
OSCAR MCDONALD
The former Demon defender gets another chance at Carlton. McDonald, 24, played 81 games for the Demons before being delisted just seven games into the 2020 season. He trained with the Blues during the preseason and has played in their practice matches. He was impressive in those games as a midfielder/forward

ESSENDON
KAINE BALDWIN (Glenelg, SANFL), 18, 193cm (6'2"), 90kg (198), tall forward
Athletic, elite runner and has strong hands. Super competitive and strong overhead, he suffered a season ending ACL injury early in 2019 with a recurrence early in 2020. Before the injury, Baldwin did well at the 2020 SA testing in February for the agility test. Dominated at the Under-16 tournament and was captain of the title-winning South Australia team in 2018 to earn a spot on Glenelg's reserves list in 2019. However, the ACL injury wrecked his year. He came back fully fit for 2020 but the same knee buckled in a trial game. He again has recovered but is still rehabbing but the club is confident he will come through. Resilient and coachable, he has been compared to Peter Wright

ALEC WATERMAN
The son of Eagles premiership player Chris, Alec was drafted in 2014 as a father-son selection. Waterman, 24, was struck with what was first thought to be glandular fever. It turned out to be adrenal fatigue and he was, according to his father, virtually bedridden for 18 months. That 18 months turned into five years of recovery. He played 10 games for Claremont in the WAFL last season and kicked 28 goals. He won the club's best and fairest award. Essendon had been scouting him and pounced as other clubs were showing an interest. At his best, Waterman is a damaging midfielder/forward. He has been training with the Bombers since February and was impressive in their scratch match against Carlton

HAWTHORN
LACHLAN BRAMBLE (Williamstown), 22, 182 (5'11"), 75 (165), midfielder
Experienced VFL player who was set to sign with Hawthorn's VFL side Box Hill this year. Has developed well over the past few years, is versatile, has good skills on both sides of his body, has speed and power

Although he still had one year on his contract with Hawthorn, winger Tom Scully announced his retirement in early February. Scully, 29, took a break from the club in January for personal reasons and to consider his future. In making the announcement, he said he had lost his passion for the game. He further said, “This has been an incredibly difficult decision for me to make as football has been such a big part of my life. I have been thinking for a long period of time ... and after much consideration I have decided now is the best time for me to step away and pursue other interests. After 11 seasons ... I understand the demands that this game requires ... and after much thought I know in my heart I have lost the passion and commitment ... to continue. I am so grateful for all the opportunities and experiences that football has given me and I will take away some lifelong memories and friendships. I would like to thank my wife, my family and friends for your ongoing love and support throughout my career. I appreciate you all and I look forward to the future with much optimism and excitement.”

Scully was the number one draft selection in 2009 with the Melbourne Demons taking him. He quickly established himself as an excellent runner. He played just 31 games for the Dees and headed north to GWS as an uncontracted player at the end of 2011. He played 121 games with the Giants but they came under salary cap pressure in 2019 and traded him to Hawthorn where he added 35 games in two seasons. Scully placed in the top three for the best and fairest at GWS twice, was a Rising Star nominee in 2010 and was named All-Australian in 2016 and 2017

His retirement opens a spot on Hawthorn's list.

MELBOURNE
MAJAK DAW
The ex-Kangaroo gets a second chance after he was part of the massive cull at North Melbourne. Daw, 29, was sure his career was over and signed with North Heidelberg to play in the Northern Football League in Victoria alongside his younger brother and North legend Brent Harvey. Daw was drafted by North in 2009 and played 54 games. After injuries to Sam Weideman and Brown, Daw was invited to train with the Demons and has impressed with his commitment to the program.

DEAKYN SMITH (Dandenong Stingrays, Melbourne Demons Academy), 18, 179 (5'10"), 65 (143), defender
The Demons have been keeping on a eye on Smith for a number of years
Smith, who has also impressed the Demons’ officials, joins the club after being identified through Melbourne’s Next Generation Academy. Although he did not play in 2020 due to the pandemic, he has been impressive over the preseason

RICHMOND
DEREK EGGMOLESSE-SMITH
Came from the Richmond Academy and was drafted in 2018 as a rookie and played two games in 2019 before a stress reaction in his shin turned into a fracture. The defender did not get back until August of last year and played in the VFL. Has a nice kick but needs to work on his work rate and consistency

RHYAN MANSELL (Woodville-West Torrens, SANFL), 20, 180 (5'10"), 70 (154), defender
Has been training with the club since January. Originally from Tasmania, he played in three premiership teams for North Launceston before joining Woodville. Super competitive, has good speed and tackles hard. The Tigers have been watching him for several years. Although he played footy (and soccer) in his junior days, he main focus was cricket during his teen years

ST KILDA
PAUL HUNTER
Former Crow ruckman Hunter is a welcome addition for the Saints with Paddy Ryder, Shaun McKernan and Rowan Marshall sidelined with injuries. Hunter, 28, spent four years on Adelaide's list without making his debut. He was delisted at the end of 2019 and signed with Williamstown. Their season was canceled due to the pandemic and he crossed to South Adelaide

With the retirement of Dylan Roberton, the Saints have two spots open on thier list. They have the option of elevating a rookie to the seniors or selecting a player in the June midseason draft

MASON WOOD
Another victim of North's massive list cuts, Wood played 65 games and kicked 76 goals since his debut in 2013. The mobile forward was delisted after failing to show consistency he had early in his career. Wood, 27, played just eight games in 2020 and trained with the Saints during the preseason. The Saints believe he could compliment their talls Max King and Tim Membrey and smalls Dan Butler, Jack Lonie and Jack Higgins

WESTERN BULLDOGS
ANTHONY SCOTT (Footscray, VFL), 26, 180 (5'10"), 76 (167), forward
Scott has been training with the Bulldogs since January and replaces Sam Lloyd, who retired in mid-December of last year. Scott is versatile with the ability to play a variety of positions. He joined Footscray in 2019 from VAFA team Old trinity and won the club's best and fairest award that year. He was named vice-captain of the side for the 2020 season which was canceled due to the pandemic. In 2019, he played 18 games and kicked 19 goals

Other clubs with openings on their lists are Collingwood and Melbourne with two each and Essendon, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, St Kilda and Sydney with one each

Sources: afc.com.au, williamstownfc.com.au, thewest.com.au, theage.com.au, essendonfc.com.au, footywire.com.au, sen.com.au, melbournefc.com.au, afl.com.au, www.westernbulldogs.com.au, news.com.au, AFL Record Season Guide, Nadine Rabah, AFL Media Release

Article last changed on Friday, March 12, 2021 - 1:04 PM EST


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