Traded Christian Petracca [Traded with #24, #28, 2026 R4 (Melb) to Gold Coast for #7, #8, #37, '26 R1 (GC), '27 R3 (GC)]

[Dez!]

And fair enough too. If he gets a run at it he will be a star. With Gunston another year older he is a must keep. (even though Gunston is seemingly getting better with age)

Lewis will already be 27 in a couple of weeks, he's just an injury prone forward.

 

[Scythe]

re-signed Pickett on $1.7M and are now at their limit.

We're nowhere near the cap limit, as discussed previously.

 

[I Love Lamb]

GCS gave pick 7 for Geelong to take on a $900K contract of Bowes, now that's "pathetic". Clearly Melbourne thought they were still in a premiership window when they re-signed Pickett on $1.7M and are now at their limit. Clearing up $1.7M at 4 years will give them more option for their rebuild.

We aren’t close to our cap limit lol. Now you’re just making shit up. Last 2 years we freed up cash from Grundy, Brayshaw, Harmes, ANB, Ben Brown, Hibberd, Tomlinson and now possibly May.

Picketts contract is only around 1.33m a year also (12m over 9).

 

[Gavin Excell]

Melbourne doesn't seem to be too upset or emotional about Trac wanting out
Interesting comparison to Essendon

 

[ABAB]

Melbourne doesn't seem to be too upset or emotional about Trac wanting out
Interesting comparison to Essendon

Probably given what Melbourne put him though 2 years ago, they think this is best for him.

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

I'm not sure if you're just being deliberately obtuse, or whether I'm being difficult to understand.

It will be the 20th-21st best talent in what is already a weak draft. Pick 14 is not pick 14, and with a higher than usual concentration of bids and compo picks at the top end of the draft, it will be less valuable than a pick at the number in other years.

This discussion is had every year mate, those who still think where a pick ends up doesnt matter never change their minds.

Here, let me speed this along

A: "Those players arent in the pool"
B: "Yes, so the pool is weaker"
A: "It doesnt matter where a bid comes"
B: "Yes, sure, because the players arent in the pool -making it weaker"
A: "It's still the 14th best player"
B: "No, a draft pool is not the same every year and the talent is not unlimited. You must take into account who will be available at the pick, particularly in the first round before deciding the value of the pick. If Harley Reid was in this pool, pick 1 would be more valuable than it is"
B: "..."
B: "Those players arent in the pool..."

 

[Scythe]

This discussion is had every year mate, those who still think where a pick ends up doesnt matter never change their minds.

Here, let me speed this along

A: "Those players arent in the pool"
B: "Yes, so the pool is weaker"
A: "It doesnt matter where a bid comes"
B: "Yes, sure, because the players arent in the pool -making it weaker"
A: "It's still the 14th best player"
B: "No, a draft pool is not the same every year and the talent is not unlimited. You must take into account who will be available at the pick, particularly in the first round before deciding the value of the pick. If Harley Reid was in this pool, pick 1 would be more valuable than it is"
B: "..."
B: "Those players arent in the pool..."

This board is such fun!

 

[GC2015]

Melbourne doesn't seem to be too upset or emotional about Trac wanting out
Interesting comparison to Essendon

It would appear that Melbourne learned (the hard way) what can happen if you keep hold a player to their contract when they don't want to be there. Now they're doing what they probably should've have done 12 months ago.

Essendon are learning that lesson right now.

 

[I Love Lamb]

Wonder if Adelaide’s 2027 first rounder will come into the conversation. Don’t expect it would be anything higher than pick 30 with Tassie concessions, but could be an interesting way to find more collateral.

 

[I Love Lamb]

It would appear that Melbourne learned (the hard way) what can happen if you keep hold a player to their contract when they don't want to be there. Now they're doing what they probably should've have done 12 months ago.

Essendon are learning that lesson right now.

Yeah, was a really tough lesson having the guy we held come 2nd in our best and fairest.

 

[GC2015]

Yeah, was a really tough lesson having the guy we held come 2nd in our best and fairest.

It's the internal culture that would have suffered and that manifests into a 14th place finish on the ladder. Goodwin gets the sack, Steven May is on the way out and it would appear Petracca is also departing. Three really important figures in Melbourne's 2021 premiership team.

These aren't coincidences. They are all interrelated.

 

[HairyO]

Yeah, was a really tough lesson having the guy we held come 2nd in our best and fairest.

Jordan Lewis came 2nd in our B & F and then went to Melbourne at age 30 for picks 48 and 66.

We finished top 4 that year.

 

[Soggy2112]

Wonder if Adelaide’s 2027 first rounder will come into the conversation. Don’t expect it would be anything higher than pick 30 with Tassie concessions, but could be an interesting way to find more collateral.

This is where trading picks 2 years in to the future is going to get really interesting. I genuinely wouldn’t be surprised if we won the flag or the spoon in 2027…

 

[Iva Bigun]

If Flanders chooses the Dees and Petracca the Crows:

We could offer two firsts (14 and F1) and a third (41) with a second (23) coming back. (Dees could split 23 beforehand to retain a late second rounder, or use 41 in the McVee deal to get something better from Freo)

Melbourne then fling one of those first rounders to the Suns for Flanders.

We would send 23 to the Lions for Ah Chee.

Saints are offering pick 7 for Flanders, why would we take pick 14.

 

[Soggy2112]

Players should be able to nominate states, not clubs

Why?

A club’s facilities, coaches, players, salary cap, membership numbers etc are all major factors in a player’s decision. Why would state be the only one?

 

[I Love Lamb]

It's the internal culture that would have suffered and that manifests into a 14th place finish on the ladder. Goodwin gets the sack, Steven May is on the way out and it would appear Petracca is also departing. Three really important figures in Melbourne's 2021 premiership team.

These aren't coincidences. They are all interrelated.

Highly doubt the guy who came 2nd in our BnF was the reason we came 14th on the ladder but each to their own lol.

Was 40 other blokes who performed worse in 2025 but yeah, has to be one of our better performers. Some pretty shit takes in this thread and this one is up there.

 

[croweater 41]

This board is such fun!

Lets go SC 26 planning and work out if Trac is in my plans if he is at the Suns or Crows next year and why he is F1 in both cases.

 

[I Love Lamb]

Jordan Lewis came 2nd in our B & F and then went to Melbourne at age 30 for picks 48 and 66.

We finished top 4 that year.

Ok nice, but what’s that got to do with culture and holding him to his contract (which is what we were discussing).

Also Hawks were not willing to give Lewis a big contract at that phase so you obviously didn’t rate him the same as we do Trac.

 

[GC2015]

Highly doubt the guy who came 2nd in our BnF was the reason we came 14th on the ladder but each to their own lol.

Was 40 other blokes who performed worse in 2025 but yeah, has to be one of our better performers. Some pretty shit takes in this thread and this one is up there.

You've misunderstood my point. It's the knowledge within the four walls that Petracca doesn't want to be your teammate or coached by you that hurts the internal culture for the other players/coaches. Christian is still an outstanding player who can play the game at a very high level (hence the reason the Crows and Suns want him) but the trust from his Melbourne teammates / coaches would've taken a massive hit over the last 12 months and trust is so important when it comes to performing at the highest level. Top to bottom - everyone has to be aligned in order to achieve great things in this league and I think it's pretty obvious that Melbourne weren't aligned this year.

 

[longdonkey]

So Adelaide wont give up Rachele, and Gold Coast wont give up Bailey Humphrey.

They both want a 4 time AA and Norm Smith medalist for **** all. Pathetic really.

Well the problem is a precedent was set when Houston went to Collingwood went for SFA. I said it at the time, this is opening a Pandoras box and everyone (non Port supporters) laughed like fk.

 

[HairyO]

Ok nice, but what’s that got to do with culture and holding him to his contract (which is what we were discussing).

Lewis had a contract too. I think Melbourne is doing the right thing here, dont get me wrong. I just think that the final price paid is likely to be less than what Melbourne is hoping for.

 

[fnerd]

Melbourne have terrible draft picks at the moment and are looking to clean out the old players and bring in good new kids and pushing to get a very good kid from GCS.

Not sure what more they could do ?

See old m8s post below

It would appear that Melbourne learned (the hard way) what can happen if you keep hold a player to their contract when they don't want to be there. Now they're doing what they probably should've have done 12 months ago.

Essendon are learning that lesson right now.

 

[markm106]

GCS gave pick 7 for Geelong to take on a $900K contract of Bowes, now that's "pathetic". Clearly Melbourne thought they were still in a premiership window when they re-signed Pickett on $1.7M and are now at their limit. Clearing up $1.7M at 4 years will give them more option for their rebuild.

Pickett ain’t on 1.7. It’s between 1.3 and 1.4.

 

[I Love Lamb]

Lewis had a contract too. I think Melbourne is doing the right thing here, dont get me wrong. I just think that the final price paid is likely to be less than what Melbourne is hoping for.

Hawks were stunting Lewis long term career by holding him. Dees aren’t unless Crows or Suns want to give him a bigger contract.

If he stays with us, which we are happy to keep him, he isn’t losing years to his career like Lewis would have been.

This was also like 10 years ago when future trading wasn’t a thing so you’re trying to compare apples and oranges. Maybe find a more recent comparison like Bryce Gibbs or Dayne Beams.

 

[EBERT THE KING]

Any insight into why it seems he is super keen to get out of Melbourne (the city) now?

Last year most people expected he was going to be in black and white moving forward and now it seems like he isn't even considering them.

 

[I Love Lamb]

Any insight into why it seems he is super keen to get out of Melbourne (the city) now?

Last year most people expected he was going to be in black and white moving forward and now it seems like he isn't even considering them.

New coach? Try something new before he retires? Few of his mates in Brayshaw, Harmes and ANB have moved on? Coast off another teams success?