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

Tempy Tiger

Premiership Player
Sep 18, 2006
4,416
3,547
AFL Club
Melbourne
Problem is, we are all calling for basically everyone bar Gawn and Salem to be dropped :) Who’s playing seniors? Goody, Chappy, Rooke and co?
 

Topkent

Confirmed ITK Drafting King
Aug 29, 2010
61,046
84,953
Canada
AFL Club
Melbourne
Other Teams
Winnipeg Jets
Yeah bit unfair to be saying his career is over when if you just started watching footy this year there's about 20 worse than him.
 
I say we move him forward or try him in the back. Anywhere but where he’s playing now.
Mostly been forward so far this year. played some mid time on Wednesday though, which i didn't mind early on, but i felt like they took him out to quick
 

ABray10

All Australian
Aug 30, 2017
728
1,011
AFL Club
Melbourne
Definitely needs to play four solid weeks in the VFL midfield. Gather 120 touches to get his hands on it and run his ass off.
 

Bazza97

Premiership Player
Nov 17, 2016
3,957
3,973
Melbourne
AFL Club
Melbourne
Would like to see him spend more time on-ball. Right now, Viney is going to be out for a couple of weeks at least so I think the opportunity is there for Petracca to play through the midfield more. He did play through there a bit against Richmond but starting next week against Hawthorn, I think he should play as much as he can on-ball. Long-term I think he should be developed to play primarily in the midfield as I think that's where he can best reach his potential and improve.
 
Apr 18, 2005
30,892
26,644
AFL Club
Melbourne
Right now if he isn’t injured the best place is on ball. He won’t get match fit by not being in a game situation unless he goes to the VFL. Seriously, our season is done, he might as well have a month in the middle to see what he can do.

At year end, and if the right outside player becomes available, I’ve no issues packaging him up with a pick and trading him. Unless he does something this year that screams ‘keep me forever a Demon’ then we could enhance our list around and without him.
 
Although De Goey is a footballer who's becoming a better athlete. Petracca looks like an athlete trying to learn football
Sam Frost in a Michelin man suit?

You hear it here first.
 

mrmonkey

Brownlow Medallist
Dec 3, 2010
11,923
12,209
Melbourne
AFL Club
Melbourne
I like the idea of him just running with opposition midfielders just so he can learn how much he needs to run, when to run, where to run ect. The problem is he isn't fit enough. Maybe a solid month in the vfl could help with confidence and decision making. I wouldn't trade him, but he needs a big pre season. Maybe oliver can take him under his wing to help him shed some kgs.
 
I like the idea of him just running with opposition midfielders just so he can learn how much he needs to run, when to run, where to run ect. The problem is he isn't fit enough. Maybe a solid month in the vfl could help with confidence and decision making. I wouldn't trade him, but he needs a big pre season. Maybe oliver can take him under his wing to help him shed some kgs.
The only opposition midfielder I’d feel comfortable putting him on is Dom Tyson
 

blitznu

Premiership Player
Jan 6, 2013
3,983
4,950
AFL Club
Melbourne
I like the idea of him just running with opposition midfielders just so he can learn how much he needs to run, when to run, where to run ect. The problem is he isn't fit enough. Maybe a solid month in the vfl could help with confidence and decision making. I wouldn't trade him, but he needs a big pre season. Maybe oliver can take him under his wing to help him shed some kgs.
I reckon all he actually needs is a full pre season. Lost weight was supposedly going awse then did his knee and obviously pasta boy needs to putting in the ks all preseason. Hes yet to have a full preseason isnt he?
 
I still don’t rate him. If we can send him off somewhere for a gun outside midfielder I’d do it in a heartbeat.
Dying seconds of the game the ball in dispute just outside the Hawthorn 50. Petracca bumps a Hathorn player, breaks another tackle and as he is about to been gang tackled by two Hawks players he boots the ball forward in effect winning the game.
 
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