At the age of 18, Scaife was one of five Victorians who made their first-class debuts against Tasmania in January 1927.

[1] One of the smallest first-class players in Australia at the time,[2] Scaife played the full six-game Sheffield Shield season in 1927–28, scoring 207 runs at an average of 34.50 in a season when his teammates Bill Ponsford and Bill Woodfull each averaged well over 100 with the bat and Victoria won the Shield.

[3] He was one of the three emergencies named for Australia's tour of New Zealand at the end of the season, but was not required to play.

[4] He played in a trial match for an Australian XI against The Rest at the start of the 1928–29 season but was not successful.

He did not score his first century until 1933–34, when he made 120 and 80 to help Victoria draw the match after New South Wales had declared at 672 for 8 in their first innings.