MUCH has been written about footballer Tom Scully, the No. 1 draft pick who is headed for Melbourne after last Thursday night's AFL national draft.
But what of Scully the person, the unassuming teenager thrust into one of Australian sports' most bright and probing spotlights?
In an interview with The Journal last year before he became football's hottest property, Scully revealed himself as caring and thoughtful young man, a credit to his family, an inspiration to his generation, and someone the Demons and the AFL should be justly proud to have in their
ranks.
The former Dandenong Stingrays midfielder spoke about his "life-changing" visit to the world's first AIDS village during an under-17 Australian Institute of Sport AFL Academy tour of South Africa.
Built by the Christian group Sparrow Ministries, the village west of Johannesburg aims to provide hope and dignity to nearly 500 men, women, and children dying of AIDS.
Scully and several of his touring mates held a clinic for the children at the village during which he befriended a boy. He admits to shedding a few tears over his fate, and the fate of many other children at the clinic.
"We saw a lot of kids dying of AIDS. We couldn't help but feel for them and get close to them.
Looking one [a boy] in the eyes was heartbreaking. I tried to hold back the tears but I couldn't help it in the end.
"The inspirational thing for me was that all the kids were always smiling and happy. I think we brought them a lot of happiness and joy with the clinic. It was so satisfying.
"It was an experience I will never forget. It taught me not to take life for granted. When things go wrong, I just think about kids at the village."
Scully and the rest of the 30-member squad also toured Soweto and Cape Town and saw first hand the poverty that people lived in.
"There are families of six or seven living in what is basically a tin shed and is no bigger than my bedroom. Their living conditions are terrible: we are so lucky in Australia."
The squad played a 'friendly' international against a South African team and held coaching clinics for about 100 children who wore jumpers donated by Fremantle, West Coast and Collingwood.
He said the children "loved Aussie rules" and adapted to it quickly.
"It [South Africa] has a huge population to promote and develop the game. Who knows, in the future, we could see as many South Africans playing in the AFL as there are Irish."
In response to Scully's touching story, The Journal , in partnership with the Dandenong Stingrays regional manager Darren Flanigan, instigated a plan to raise funds for the AIDS village in South Africa.
Scully grew up in Berwick with his parents, father, Phil, who played VFA football for Dandenong in the 1980s, and mother, Nardja, in a family of Richmond supporters. Scully's proud parents were at the draft, and among all the excitement and emotion, he no doubt would have taken a minute to remember the boy dying of AIDS in what was his life-changing moment.
Scully was among four Dandenong Stingrays to be drafted. Teammate Ryan Bastinac was picked up by North Melbourne at No. 21 in the draft, Dylan Roberston is off to Fremantle as pick No. 49 and Rohan Kerr to Carlton at pick No. 59.
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