Draft Profile Christian Petracca

[HawkintheTuarts]

Didn't see a thread created for him. Expected top 2 draft pick.

BF watchers views on him:

3. Christian Petracca (VIC – Mid/Fwd)
Height:186cm, Weight: 92kg, DOB: 04/01/1996
Recruited from: Eastern Ranges
Draft range: 1-3
Best position/role: Rotational midfielder/forward.
Strengths:
Front half talent –Petracca can play both deep in the front half as a marking target and off a forward flank to a high standard when playing forward. Deep in the front half Petracca provides strong scoreboard impact and is an imposing marking presence with his 1v1 strength, overhead marking ability, marking on the lead and superior ability to read the drop of the ball. He can deep in the front half also win the ground ball. Petracca can also play off a forward flank and have a big impact, he can on a forward flank accumulate the footy in bunches, do damage with his footskills, present as a strong marking target, provide strong scoreboard impact and push up the field.
Midfield talent – Petracca is an improved midfielder this year having improved his endurance and decreasing his skinfolds. He’s got a nice mix between inside and outside game. He’s a very good contested ball winner and stoppage player and these areas of his game can continue to improve given his size and strength. He’s a strong ground ball winner. He’s also got a rare power to him not only with his strength to bully guys inside the contest but some real explosive power where he can burst through a contest, come up with the ball and break away from the contest at speed. He’s also got excellent evasiveness and can sidestep guys and burst away with some real explosiveness. Outside the contest Petracca shows that he can find the footy but also use it really well utilising his damaging footskills and vision allowing him to find damaging targets up the field.
Scoreboard impact – Forward or through the midfield Petracca provides strong scoreboard impact and is capable of kicking multiple goals and breaking games open with his scoreboard impact in any given game.
Strength and power – Not many 92kg midfielders going around and even fewer with the explosiveness and power of Petracca. He wins his own ball and can either burst through the contest or run around you with ease. He stands up through tackles and has the strength through his core and hips, he can shrug tackles and give a strong don’t argue. In the 1v1 contests he can take advantage of anyone who isn’t key position sized.
Versatility – Petracca because he can play not only through the midfield but also on a forward flank or deep in the front half as a marking target gives you options and this versatility should also help him receive on any team immediate senior games.
Footskills – Has an excellent mix between footskills hitting his targets around the ground with consistency, vision allowing him to find some really damaging targets in great position, decision making with his ability to choose the right options but also he’s got the finishing ability and set shot goalkicking to allow him to provide the scoreboard impact.
Marking ability – Few if any medium size types have the marking ability of Petracca. He’s got the 1v1 marking ability, contested marking ability and ability on the lead to take his marks and he’s got the strength overhead to take them consistently. He also reads the drop of the ball exceptionally well and uses his body well in the contest allowing him to effectively protect the drop zone making him incredibly hard to defend particularly if he can isolate a smaller player defender deep in defence.
Weaknesses:
Endurance – His endurance is building and has improved significantly this year to an extent where he can now play full games through the midfield but if he hopes to eventually become a full time midfielder further work is still required.
Skinfolds – Like with his endurance his skinfolds have reduced but his skinfolds still appear relatively high and also need to decrease.
What I expect will improve:
I expect Petracca to continue to improve his contested ball winning and stoppage work and take that area of his game from good to eventually excellent. I also expect his endurance and skinfolds to improve. Whether his endurance and skinfolds improve to an extent where Petracca will be played as a full time midfielder that is the question I still have.
Who he can become?
I anticipate Petracca to develop into a player largely similar to Dustin Martin but without the personal issues. I see Petracca mostly playing as a damaging forward flanker who will at times push deeper into the front half and will split his minutes between playing through the front half and midfield with those midfield minutes increasing as his endurance improves.
When will he be ready to play?
Petracca is season one, round one ready to play. He’ll start off season one mostly playing in the front half and by season two or three likely play more a split between forward and midfield minutes.
How to best utilise him?
Petracca today is best utilised in the front half because he’s just so damaging forward of centre. The hope will be that he becomes more a midfielder but I’d look for him to split his minutes between the midfield and front half long term.
Interpretation of his numbers:
Petracca well and truly has the performances on the board and is one of if not the best performed player in this draft class based on his form these past couple of seasons through the TAC Cup and U18 championships. He’s finding the footy but also providing heavy scoreboard impact at both levels which such suggests he’ll provide both a strong immediate impact at AFL level but also that he will become one of the best to come out of this draft with those high production power midfielders who can provide heavy scoreboard impact of strong value to teams.

Pick 2 - Melbourne: Christian Petracca (Vic Metro, Balanced MID/General FWD)
186cm, 92kg, 4/1/96
Range: Top 5
Comparison: Colin Sylvia
Highlights

Going into 2014 there were question marks over Petracca and he's answered them emphatically, doing everything he possibly could have to prove that he will be a high level AFL midfielder. He has the versatility to play as a stay at home marking forward or half forward to a high standard while also being an excellent midfielder. Despite carrying much more weight than most midfielders his age he has elite agility and evasion with an excellent sprint. He's dominant aerially, possessing an exceptional read of the ball and ability to position himself. One on one he is rarely beaten and clunks more contested marks than any other midfielder in the crop. Through the middle he's an above average accumulator with a booming kick and good vision. His ability to hit the scoreboard while playing through the middle is excellent.

While Petracca has lost weight this year he's still carrying too much 'useless' weight and needs to further work on getting down to an appropriate playing weight. His strength and power is natural so losing the excess bulk should not impact heavily upon those strengths. He also needs to improve his endurance - while it is currently at an acceptable level it isn't a strength. By foot he's capable of hitting the right areas but lacks precision at times and occasionally blindly bombs it forward instead of assessing the options with composure.

Right now there are still doubts over whether Petracca's performances are through brute strength or translateable ability. His athletic testing indicates that despite having the weight he's also got exceptional natural athleticism which will translate to AFL level. He lacks the natural touch and talent of a Dustin Martin but is a more disciplined player both on and off the field. Right now I see him as a higher level Colin Sylvia. Perhaps he is what Sylvia could have been with a better attitude and work rate as well as starting out his career at a club with a better system.

 

[HawkintheTuarts]

Question I want to ask those that have been following him is has he played against bigger bodies this year or just TAC and u18 games?

 

[Sezzac1]

He has only played U18 football.

 

[jcav93]

Have watched him play at Ranges for the past 2 years. Very very impressive young bloke, works super hard. Could almost go number 1.

 

[jjami15]

should go 1

 

[aussierulesrules]

The success in the forward line in the 2nd half of the season of the likes of Dustin Martin and Jack Ziebell is only going to increase the demand for Petracca, because those types who can push forward and dominate there due to their strength 1-on-1 are all the rage at the moment. The timing of Petracca entering the draft is impeccable in this regard. His overhead and contested marking would be similar to Ziebell's, I would think and speed and agility-wise he'd be more like Martin, when it hits the deck.

Question I want to ask those that have been following him is has he played against bigger bodies this year or just TAC and u18 games?

Am told that he played in some sort of praccy match in the preseason this year against one of the VFL teams (Richmond's, I believe) and that he was manhandling them there like an Ollie Wines or Luke Dunstan have been in the AFL from the start of their careers.

He's going to be bigger and possibly stronger than most in the AFL from the get-go and that will only increase once he's been in the system for a couple of years and really harden's up and becomes fully ripped.

 

[SeVi]

The success in the forward line in the 2nd half of the season of the likes of Dustin Martin and Jack Ziebell is only going to increase the demand for Petracca, because those types who can push forward and dominate there due to their strength 1-on-1 are all the rage at the moment. The timing of Petracca entering the draft is impeccable in this regard. His overhead and contested marking would be similar to Ziebell's, I would think and speed and agility-wise he'd be more like Martin, when it hits the deck.

Am told that he played in some sort of praccy match in the preseason this year against one of the VFL teams (Richmond's, I believe) and that he was manhandling them there like an Ollie Wines or Luke Dunstan have been in the AFL from the start of their careers.

He's going to be bigger and possibly stronger than most in the AFL from the get-go and that will only increase once he's been in the system for a couple of years and really harden's up and becomes fully ripped.

I disagree with this. The reverse is more plausable. I expect Petracca the mostly likely to slide a little. Inside brutes are more highly valued. Brayshaw has been compared to Wines, and given the latter's finals so far that might influence his draft position slightly.
Don't get me wrong Petracca is a gun I just think he's that more outside/inside than some of his comtemporaries.

 

[Flags_In_The_Bag]

Will St Kilda pick him at number 1 i wonder, i know Melb will at 2/3 and GWS will as the next in line, he reminds me of Brad Johnson

 

[aussierulesrules]

Will St Kilda pick him at number 1 i wonder?

All the mail at the moment is suggesting a big fat yes. Was told a couple of months ago that we rated him no.1 by a long way and you go best available with a pick like 1.

 

[Flags_In_The_Bag]

All the mail at the moment is suggesting a big fat yes. Was told a couple of months ago that we rated him no.1 by a long way and you go best available with a pick like 1.

Strange as i would have thought Macartin number 1

 

[aussierulesrules]

Because you think he's the best in the draft, or because you see his type as our biggest need?

 

[aussierulesrules]

Top AFL draft prospect Christian Petracca proves his midfield credentials

"What Petracca wanted most at the start of the year was to prove he could play as a midfielder. He's not sure anyone doubted he could, but having watched him kick goal after goal at the end of 2013, playing on the Eastern Ranges' half-forward line, he knew his coaches, the recruiters and a bunch of other people were curious to see whether he could improve his running and have as much impact playing on the ball.

He wanted to find out, too. So Petracca hired a running coach in January, trained as hard as he could and got fitter than he had ever been. He got to spend a week training at Hawthorn as part of his AFL Academy scholarship and spent his time there watching, listening and getting his head around exactly what he would have to keep up with once he made it to an AFL team of his own. He missed out on playing for Vic Metro in its first game of the national championships because it was his turn to be rotated out of the side, and "almost teared up, I was that upset. But when I look back on it, I was in the team every week after that. I think it worked out for the best."


Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-ne...redentials-20140930-10o6nk.html#ixzz3F6I9M8RK


Christian Petracca (Eastern Ranges)
Born 4.1.1996, 186cm, 92kg

AFL biography: Powerful inside midfielder/forward who is strong overhead and is a clearance star. Breaks tackles with his elite agility and tackles strongly. Vic Metro MVP and Larke Medallist of the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships. Kicking has become a real asset. Averaged 25 disposals, 5.4 marks and five clearances on his way to winning All-Australian Under-18 honours.

Mark Neeld, Eastern Ranges: "Christian is a really bubbly personality and when people talk about footballers who want to be the best they can be, he's the perfect example of that. He asks an abundance of appropriate questions, he trains really hard, he's super competitive and I think he actually has massive upside because of his basketball background. He might be physically mature but he's really only focused on footy for the last couple of years, and as a result he has a lot of improvement still to come in every area. I think he'll be really hard to match up on an AFL level because he's very strong in one on one contests, he keeps his feet, he has an aggressive streak and he also has enough class to use the footy well. This has been his first year in midfield and he's taken all before him. It's what he wanted to do and he's really worked hard to do it. He has pace, he's aggressive and he's a very busy personality but he's under no illusion as to where his future lies and wherever he goes I think he'll make a difference next year."

From Emma Quayle: http://m.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-draft-combine-harvester-the-ruckmen-20141001-10op78.html

 

[aussierulesrules]

Going places: When draft young gun Christian Petracca said yes to footy and no to an NBA dream

"The Ranges got through to the (2013) preliminary final, but were without injured forwards Tom Boyd (who would later that year be the No. 1 draft pick) and Mitch Honeychurch. Petracca had one Weet-Bix for breakfast and then threw it up in the rooms – he always vomits before big matches – but played the game of his life. Everything went right. He kicked five goals and five behinds, took nine contested marks, and was the dominant player on the ground, leading his club into the Grand Final, which it would win the next week.

Petracca's performance, which you can watch below, ranked among the most imposing TAC Cup showings of recent years. He knew recruiters were spread out everywhere in the Visy Park stands, and he wanted to rise to the occasion."

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-10-...acca-said-yes-to-footy-and-no-to-an-nba-dream

 

[Feerits Elf]

Petracca had one Weet-Bix for breakfast and then threw it up in the rooms – he always vomits before big matches

Looks like he models his pre-game preparation on Plugger, that's a good omen.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Yeah I like the way he talks about wanting to lift in big moments to help get his team over the line. That's what you want, someone who can put his team on his shoulders and lift them over the line, as it seems he did in that prelim last year, despite being underage.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Going Places: Christian Petracca the joker gets a clip and knuckles down

"Petracca hasn't seen his relatives since he was four, when they called him 'The Terminator' for running around rooms, causing scenes of destruction, and then moving on.

His big personality and influence on the group are hard to ignore. Petracca is upbeat, all the time. One recruiter compared him to Hawthorn great Robert DiPierdomenico for his approach.

"He's cheeky and fun-loving. His teammates next year are going to enjoy being around him. He reminds me of a young 'Dipper'. He's happy, he's fun, he's excitable and he'll do anything for his teammates. You'd go to war with him," the recruiter says. "He's a very likeable young bloke. He's popular. He comes from a really good, loving, solid family who are just really nice people. They're a close Italian family."

Another recruiter sums up what many think. "He doesn't lack confidence and has a bit of bravado, but that's not a bad thing at all. It comes through in his footy," he says. "I'm a big fan of his. He's a high-impact player. He can really turn a game in 10-15 minutes, and he does it regularly. He can bring people with him. He's a likeable rogue."

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-10-...acca-the-joker-gets-a-clip-and-knuckles-down-

 

[TN25]

Will be over the moon if St Kilda pick him up. Can see him becoming a 300+ gamer and winning multiple Brownlows

 

[POKsPies252]

Can see him coming to the Pies in 2 years

Actually nah my Calrton mates tell me that doesn't work #Boyd

 

[aussierulesrules]

Christian Petracca, part three: 'If you're the draft's best, you want to be picked at No.1'


"Expectations grow. This was the case for Christian Petracca, who put together a dominant six weeks for Vic Metro during the national carnival and was the standout player in the country. And importantly for his progression as a player, it was as a midfielder. He powered through, past and into anyone who got in his way, averaging 24 disposals in five games to claim the medal.

He played against Western Australia at Medibank Oval in Perth, and started with the first goal. At half-time he told midfield coach Brian Royal he felt he was running to the wrong areas. "Just keep at it," Royal said. "Trust me, keep working." Petracca had 19 touches in the second half to finish with 27 for the game, as well as two goals in Metro's 85-point win. He took that form into game three at Simonds Stadium, when he captained the team. Metro lost to Vic Country, but Petracca picked up 31 disposals.

The good games kept coming; he travelled to South Australia and had 26 touches. Then, back at Simonds Stadium against Western Australia, he finished his team's highest possession winner, with 24 and five tackles.

With every game he became more confident he was achieving what he set out to do: "I just didn't want anyone to pigeon-hole me as a forward."

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-10-22/i-want-to-be-no1

 

[aussierulesrules]

Check out the size of those hands, no wonder he is so bloody strong overhead! He has very big hands for someone his height.

With his overhead marking being so strong and dominant and with his speed, leap and very strong physique, perhaps we could add Kouta to the list of names he gets compared to when giving playing-style comparisons. Not as tall as Kouta, so might not be able to take as many pack type marks, but could otherwise be similarly strong overhead.

 

[shortsandhoody]

Didn't see a thread created for him. Expected top 2 draft pick.


Comparing him to Colin Sylvia is harsh!

 

[God Save Max King]

http://madmondayshow.com/2014/10/28/christian-petracca-player-profile/

STRENGTHS:
Dominance and ‘Alpha Dog’ Factor: Christian Petracca is one of the few players in the draft who can turn a game on its head on his own, on top of his elite football traits he possesses an innate competitive drive which often shines late in games. Similar to Chad Wingard, Petracca is an ‘Alpha Dog’ and should have no issue being a target man or ‘franchise player’. If an opportunity arose to win a game, I would expect that Petracca would take it with both hands.

Development Gradient: In 2012, Christian Petracca was a junior basketball star. He had represented Vic Metro in the U16s for basketball, was picked in the U17 Australian World Championship squad, was training with the AIS on the hard-court and was shooting hoops with Dante Exum. By 2013, he was a dominant force for the Eastern Ranges as a half-forward and had played for Vic Metro at the AFL U18 Champs as a bottom-age player. Fast-forward 12 months and Petracca is the likely #1 pick, despite initially being left off the AIS-AFL Level 2 Squad. His meteoric rise to the top of junior football and the possibility that he will continue this football growth (despite an early birth-date) will have the Saints and Demons recruiters licking their lips.

Ball-Winning Midfielder: Even though he spent most of his 2013 season up forward, Christian Petracca is simply a midfield giant. The Eastern Ranger ranked elite in the U18 Championship for Rating Points (Petracca had the highest average for rating points of any player in Division 1), kicks, handballs, marks, metres gained and uncontested possessions and was rewarded with the Larke Medal as the best player in Division 1. At TAC Cup level, he averaged 25 disposals and 16 contested possessions, the latter was matched by no other Victorian junior. He possesses great awareness in the contest and thrives when given an opportunity at a stoppage.

Physical Traits: Dubbed a “younger version of Patrick Dangerfield” by one recruiter, it’s easy to see why Christian Petracca has many fans in AFL circles. At times Petracca looks Judd-like, bursting through stoppages with ball in hand and leaving opposition players in the dust. At the Combine he tested extremely well for his vertical leap, showed fantastic improvement to his endurance and ran above average speed and agility times. His strength and power would rank in the top bracket of players of his height.

Marking: For all the hype around Petracca’s speed, strength and explosiveness, it’s his marking that put the basketball gun in the sights of club recruiters. Petracca has savagely broken down opposition defences not only with his ferocious attack on the contest, but also with his elite overhead marking. Just ask the Geelong Falcons back-line, as a bottom-age player Petracca blew open a Preliminary Final (against a defence featuring Brisbane Lions rising star Darcy Gardiner, no less), taking 9 contested marks in 1 match and in the process catapulting the Eastern Ranges into the Grand Final. One-on-one he is close to unstoppable, his marking mirrors that of a high-level key forward.

WEAKNESSES:
Kicking Polish: For any other player in the draft pool with Petracca’s kicking ability, to list it as a weakness would be unnecessary, but such is the standard expected of a top 2 pick. Pigeonholing Petracca as a bad kick would be horribly inaccurate – he is a thumping kick of the football who can roost the ball over 60 metres – however Petracca struggles hitting complex angles and targets that are not wide open. He lacks the class of the last few highly rated junior midfielders (think Kelly, Whitfield or Jack Martin), his kicking efficiency was 4% lower than average at the U18 Champs.

Ability to Take Step-Up?: Not a weakness, per se, but Petracca’s ability to be as dominant in the AFL will be questioned with his large size and ability to dominate smaller bodies in U18 football. His skill set is large and varied, so it should not prove to be a large issue, especially since Petracca will still be larger and stronger than many AFL midfielders, and just as quick and agile.

Hip Injuries and Running Style: Again, this is not a weakness in his game, but Petracca has had a history of hip issues and has a somewhat awkward but extremely effective running style. His hip issues should be a concern for any club, with his explosiveness being one of his biggest strengths.

 

[swansfan51]

Didn't see a thread created for him. Expected top 2 draft pick.
Comparing him to Colin Sylvia is harsh!

Colin Sylvia was a top 3 draft pick with the same build and attributes.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Colin Sylvia was a top 3 draft pick with the same build and attributes.

In some ways. Except that one is reputed to have a terrible attitude and work-ethic, while the other one is meant to be pretty much the opposite in those regards and I think we all know that you can have all the talent and attributes in the world, but that if you don't have the attitude and work-ethic to match, you will end up like, well, Colin Sylvia.

Petracca is also by the looks of it stronger (already at least 6 kilos heavier than Sylvia is listed at, despite being so much younger) and I dare say as a result is probably more explosive and powerful, he's probably more athletic (I'd be reasonably surprised if Sylvia is able to dunk a basketball, whereas Petracca was able to do it last year, when he weighed 99kg!) and I also doubt Sylvia is as strong overhead as Petracca is, or as well suited to being left one-out up forward.

 

[swansfan51]

In some ways. Except that one is reputed to have a terrible attitude and work-ethic, while the other one is meant to be pretty much the opposite in those regards and I think we all know that you can have all the talent and attributes in the world, but that if you don't have the attitude and work-ethic to match, you will end up like, well, Colin Sylvia.

Petracca is also by the looks of it stronger (already at least 6 kilos heavier than Sylvia is listed at, despite being so much younger) and I dare say as a result is probably more explosive and powerful, he's probably more athletic (I'd be reasonably surprised if Sylvia is able to dunk a basketball, whereas Petracca was able to do it last year, when he weighed 99kg!) and I also doubt Sylvia is as strong overhead as Petracca is, or as well suited to being left one-out up forward.

If Sylvia was believed to have "terrible attitude and work-ethic" he would not have gone pick 3. Here are just a few of the dozens of quotes about him at the time:

Does all the team things and is hard at the footy - 111 tackles including 13 in a game give you some idea of his work ethic.

Medium, inside forward/midfielder who is a tremendous tackler. Player who leads by example. Great work ethic and very competitive.

Midfielder known for his tackling, kicking, overhead marking and work ethic. Very competitive and in 2003, won under-18 All-Australian honours, the TAC Cup coaches award and the Pioneers' best and fairest.

Re: athleticism and explosiveness, Sylvia was 7th in agility, 1st standing vertical jump, and 2nd/4th in running vertical jump off either foot at draft camp.

I'm not saying Petracca is s**t so you don't need to take it personally.