Player Watch #5: Christian Petracca – Norm Smith Medallist, 4 x All-Australian and 2 x Best and Fairest

[Grimesy87]

7-8 years ago, when Pat Dangerfield was really exploding on the scene, there was talk he might go down as one of the best players of all time. He spent 3 years give or take as the most destructive player in the league. Then along came Dusty, who along with some astute coaching and trust from his team mates, is probably close to the best of all time, certainly in the conversation. (Although it's impossible to compare eras IMHO)

Now, trac has got a long way to go to be in the same conversation as either of those two. But the trajectory is very similar to Richmond circa 15/16. Not only with Melbourne and Richmond, but dusty and trac at the same stages.

Personally, as a footy lover, I just enjoy watching peak dusty and danger and what they could do. As a Melbourne supporter, I'm genuinely excited that we have a player who wants to be in that conversation too.

 

[Proper Gander]

Lmao I do love Trac but I'd be very surprised if he was captain one day, cant be a captain when your that sensitive

We should really appoint you.

Actually with the lab and all we could reintroduce the captain coach

 

[Topkent]

We should really appoint you.

Actually with the lab and all we could reintroduce the captain coach

How good would it be to see a Ron Barassi style captain coach again

 

[jhong]

How good would it be to see a Ron Barassi style captain coach again
The last captain coach we had would have spent most of the season suspended or quite possibly in jail . But he was fun to watch briefly ( Carl Ditterich for you young uns)

The last captain coach we had would have spent most of the season suspended or quite possibly in jail . But he was fun to watch briefly ( Carl Ditterich for you young uns)

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

7-8 years ago, when Pat Dangerfield was really exploding on the scene, there was talk he might go down as one of the best players of all time. He spent 3 years give or take as the most destructive player in the league. Then along came Dusty, who along with some astute coaching and trust from his team mates, is probably close to the best of all time, certainly in the conversation. (Although it's impossible to compare eras IMHO)

Now, trac has got a long way to go to be in the same conversation as either of those two. But the trajectory is very similar to Richmond circa 15/16. Not only with Melbourne and Richmond, but dusty and trac at the same stages.

Personally, as a footy lover, I just enjoy watching peak dusty and danger and what they could do. As a Melbourne supporter, I'm genuinely excited that we have a player who wants to be in that conversation too.

Don't think Trac's kicking is as good as Dusty's (field kicking or goal kicking), and I don't think he's as good 1v1 either. Not really sure how to compare them explosively, but feel like while Trac might be better as an aerial athlete he doesn't have Dusty's running power. Don't think he's ever going to be a matchwinner in the same way.

What he can do maybe is be a better two way runner, apply more pressure, win more contested footy to help out defensively and turn defence into attack etc, but when it comes to 'Dusty things' he's never going to match that.

 

[Topkent]

Don't think Trac's kicking is as good as Dusty's (field kicking or goal kicking), and I don't think he's as good 1v1 either. Not really sure how to compare them explosively, but feel like while Trac might be better as an aerial athlete he doesn't have Dusty's running power. Don't think he's ever going to be a matchwinner in the same way.

What he can do maybe is be a better two way runner, apply more pressure, win more contested footy to help out defensively and turn defence into attack etc, but when it comes to 'Dusty things' he's never going to match that.

Weirdly Trac doesn't kick enough goals. Feel like he's lost a little bit of his forward craft or even just time forward. He should be able to absolutely boss someone one on one in the goalsquare but we don't use him their very often for some reason.

Only averaged more than a goal a game in a season in one season so far. Should be kicking 30 comfortably

 

[Bluelegs]

Lmao I do love Trac but I'd be very surprised if he was captain one day, cant be a captain when your that sensitive

Brett Kirk was a pretty unique individual.

 

[Topkent]

Brett Kirk was a pretty unique individual.

Nah not the same.
A port player told Trac that Trenners didn't like him so immediately after the game he called him to ask why.
A bloke who cares that much about what people think ain't captaining. How's he gonna make a hard call on disciplining players?
Just cause you're a great player doesn't mean you have to be captain.
Someone like Lever looks far more likely

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Weirdly Trac doesn't kick enough goals. Feel like he's lost a little bit of his forward craft or even just time forward. He should be able to absolutely boss someone one on one in the goalsquare but we don't use him their very often for some reason.

Only averaged more than a goal a game in a season in one season so far. Should be kicking 30 comfortably

I was just about to say that if Trac can kick bags of four or six in finals like Dusty it'll really help his case. I personally think that we lose a lot by forcing him to start in the midfield so often rather than start forward, and the Tigers deliberately unleash Dusty more often by allowing him to 'cheat forward' even out of the midfield (particularly in big games) so he wins fewer defensive ground balls and fewer 'rebounds' but it's worth it because others pick up the slack and he unleases havoc that way. Would rather see Trac become that kind of player rather than needing to be the midfield main man. Tigers have better half forwards and half backs than us though.

 

[Topkent]

I was just about to say that if Trac can kick bags of four or six in finals like Dusty it'll really help his case. I personally think that we lose a lot by forcing him to start in the midfield so often rather than start forward, and the Tigers deliberately unleash Dusty more often by allowing him to 'cheat forward' even out of the midfield (particularly in big games) so he wins fewer defensive ground balls and fewer 'rebounds' but it's worth it because others pick up the slack and he unleases havoc that way. Would rather see Trac become that kind of player rather than needing to be the midfield main man. Tigers have better half forwards and half backs than us though.

Dusty's best games aren't the ones when he gets 38

It's when he gets 17 and kicks 3-4
When you've got a bloke who can be so dominant why would you waste him in the back half. You can pick up blokes like Sparrow to do that dirty work.

 

[Meds]

The last captain coach we had would have spent most of the season suspended or quite possibly in jail . But he was fun to watch briefly ( Carl Ditterich for you young uns)

Not so fun when he's your year 9 SOSE teacher...

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Dusty's best games aren't the ones when he gets 38

It's when he gets 17 and kicks 3-4
When you've got a bloke who can be so dominant why would you waste him in the back half. You can pick up blokes like Sparrow to do that dirty work.

Yeah exactly. Make Sparrow, Viney and even Gus your guys who are going to put their body on the line to turn the play.

They averaged roughly the same number of shots on goal in their first three years and then Dusty just went to another level and Trac regressed (I guess we were shitty offensively 2019-20). But even then Dusty in 2016 weirdly went very quiet around goals with 9.9 in 2016 and averaged 31 disposals, his most ever, and the Tigers were s**t. Since then disposals have tracked downwards and goals have gone back to higher than ever before and they've dominated. Probably not entirely a coincidence.

 

[ImissFrosty]

Trac is going to make a shitload of money in endorsements and post-career media deals, especially if he wins a flag or three. In the case of Dusty he’ll probably end up making more by staying at Richmond and taking advantage of that profile than he would have if he’d gone to North on their bloated contract offer. Probably Collingwood would have further centred Trac in the limelight but he has a pretty clean and family friendly image which for better or worse I think we are suited to. If he can become a proper finals champ he’ll be minting the dollarydoos forever

I'm waiting for the day he becomes a bonds ambassador like Dusty

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Other thing is that since Dusty's returned to becoming a prime goalkicker since 2017 his goal assist numbers have also skyrocketed since 2010-2016. Another trajectory Trac would also want to follow.

 

[Topkent]

Yeah exactly. Make Sparrow, Viney and even Gus your guys who are going to put their body on the line to turn the play.

They averaged roughly the same number of shots on goal in their first three years and then Dusty just went to another level and Trac regressed (I guess we were shitty offensively 2019-20). But even then Dusty in 2016 went very quiet with 9.9 in 2016 and averaged 31 disposals, his most ever, and the Tigers were sh*t. Since then disposals have tracked downwards and goals have gone back to higher than ever before and they've dominated. Probably not entirely a coincidence.

Yeah AFL gotta be the only sport on earth that takes pure disposal/touches etc as a metric of his well someone played.

Goal assists is a criminally underrated stat. That yeah that Melksham led the league he should have been one of the first picked in the AA. Instead people rave about blokes getting 30 where there's 19 handballs to a bloke about to get tackled

30 just seems to be a reflection of your fitness, can you be around the ground where the ball is often, but you'd way rather blokes who can find a man inside 50 or go past em between the sticks

 

[Bluelegs]

Nah not the same.
A port player told Trac that Trenners didn't like him so immediately after the game he called him to ask why.
A bloke who cares that much about what people think ain't captaining. How's he gonna make a hard call on disciplining players?
Just cause you're a great player doesn't mean you have to be captain.
Someone like Lever looks far more likely

I know you hate 360 but Lewis gave some good insight into Trac tonight. Said he's much less concerned with outside opinions these days, and that while it held him back early he's moved past it and become a better player for it.

That being said I don't think he'll ever be captain.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Goal assists is a criminally underrated stat. That yeah that Melksham led the league he should have been one of the first picked in the AA. Instead people rave about blokes getting 30 where there's 19 handballs to a bloke about to get tackled

Dangerfield's also at his best when he's kicking goals. But he doesn't set enough up, which is one of the biggest differences between him and Dusty. Plus he doesn't kick them in finals. Similaly Fyfe and Bont (less so).

The Trac disposals through the midfield which matter are the ones where he rips the ball from the opposition or runs right though a pack to pick up a ground ball around high half forward, but otherwise it's mostly stat padding relative to his forward impact.

 

[ImissFrosty]

Yeah AFL gotta be the only sport on earth that takes pure disposal/touches etc as a metric of his well someone played.

Goal assists is a criminally underrated stat. That yeah that Melksham led the league he should have been one of the first picked in the AA. Instead people rave about blokes getting 30 where there's 19 handballs to a bloke about to get tackled

30 just seems to be a reflection of your fitness, can you be around the ground where the ball is often, but you'd way rather blokes who can find a man inside 50 or go past em between the sticks

Score involvements are a much more important stat then goal assists. You can hit a bloke lace out but if he misses a sitter, it's not a goal assist. Petracca is the number 2 player for score involvements in the comp averaging 9.3 a game only behind Tex Walker who is averaging 9.9. Tracc was 1st last year as well.

 

[LeverPuller]

It’s hard to believe so many people know someone who works at a caravan dealership

That is one of the all time deliveries and I refuse to hear otherwise

 

[Andyy]

Bargain for 7 at 900. Part of me hopes he leads Dees to the ultimate (maybe after tigers win just one more haha).

Sensational player but different to Dusty, doesn't quite have the same offensive impact as you have all highlighted, but a genuine top shelf bull inside mid. I love watching him.

He was young when I was in school but I was in the same year as his older brother Rob and there's a Julian in the middle. All gun athletes. Massive jocks too so you knew they'd get into trouble from time to time and were probably jerks when young. But I saw Rob at our 10y reunion and he is a very decent bloke. I'm sure christian is the same pedigree. Good family, good private school values etc. He will grow into himself and wouldn't surprise me if he's captain one day maybe soon.

 

[AmericanAFL]

Yeah AFL gotta be the only sport on earth that takes pure disposal/touches etc as a metric of his well pkayed

I’ve always wondered about this as well and find it curious. I finally decided that people must view it as a sign of footy IQ- consistently getting yourself in good positions to win the ball.

If anyone wants to expound on why high disposals is viewed as such a benchmark, I’d love to hear it. I’m sure there’s more to it than I realize.

 

[markm106]

Club is in a very good place. Players signing on showing confidence in the club. And Petracca for life is a good feeling. He’s just reaching his peak and puts future contract rumours to bed now.

 

[schmuttt]

Petracca gets compared to Dusty a lot but there is a lot of differences in their games. Dusty leaves him for dead in forward craft, Trac is a far better overhead mark. I’d also say Petracca is better at the stoppage (But Dusty is still miles above him overall).

 

[schmuttt]

Yeah AFL gotta be the only sport on earth that takes pure disposal/touches etc as a metric of his well someone played.

It’s ridiculous. I think most fans with a brain look past pure disposal counts but the media make such a stupidly big deal of it. Like is Melbourne more likely to win a game if Oliver has 40 or Hunt has 25? I know which one I’d prefer.

 

[AmericanAFL]

Like is Melbourne more likely to win a game if Oliver has 40 or Hunt has 25? I know which one I’d prefer.

I’m intrigued.