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Petracca gradually 'breaking out'

Lord Nev
Lord Nev
in Melbourne Demons

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Continually hear people talking about Petracca's upcoming 'breakout game' which never seems to eventuate, and I feel like that impacts their opinions of him.

He's quietly putting together a very good season and has steadily, albeit not linearly, improved over his career.

Consider this for 2019:

Averaging 18.2 disposals, 2.6 tackles, 2.1 clearances, 4 marks and 1.2 goals. (Importantly for us, handballs more than he kicks also)

Ranked 11th in the league for total tackles inside 50, despite playing some midfield time.

Currently rated 5th in the league for forwards, ahead of players like Stringer, Charlie Cameron and McDonald-Tipungwuti.

And last time I heard the stat reported this year, he was the lading player in the league for winning ground balls inside 50.

For a team with such a disconnect going forward, he has shown enough effort and talent on a consistent basis to be given a bit of credit from Dees fans. We can all be a bit hesitant to give any praise during a horror year like this, but I feel he deserves at least a modicum of encouragement for improving against the odds.

 

 

Screen Shot 2019-08-01 at 3.39.03 pm.png

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    It’s a fair point. After a lackluster start to the season, Trac has been good the past two months or so. He’s really be our only player in the forward line who can say they’ve won their position and contributed.

    I still expect more from him in the future, but he’s definitely improved this year and continues to trend upwards (set shots aside).

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    Statistically Petracca has made no improvement on his 2017 and 2018 numbers. None whatsoever.

    https://finalsiren.com/PlayerStats.asp?PlayerID=2626

    His first ten games of 2019 were poor to the extent he was on the fringe of the 22 being named on the four man interchange at Thursday night team selection. His past 8 or 9 games I would describe as being passable. 

    He’s a number 2 draft pick in his fifth year at the level. The club needs more from him. A lot more.

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    Undoubtedly he is harshly criticised. I do think he gets in his own way trying too hard to be the 'team player'. He should have had 5 goals on the weekend, gifted one to Lewis he could have kicked himself and threw one away for Wagner to eventually clean up. Maybe not a "breakout" game but the game where the footy world sits up takes notice is getting closer.

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      On 01/08/2019 at 06:09, Matsuo Basho said:

    Statistically Petracca has made no improvement on his 2017 and 2018 numbers. None whatsoever.

    https://finalsiren.com/PlayerStats.asp?PlayerID=2626

    His first ten games of 2019 were poor to the extent he was on the fringe of the 22 being named on the four man interchange at Thursday night team selection. His past 8 or 9 games I would describe as being passable. 

    He’s a number 2 draft pick in his fifth year at the level. The club needs more from him. A lot more.

    You mean the years where we played well as a team and had much higher statistics overall as a club? Ok then.

    You do understand how rotations work in modern footy yes? Being named on the bench is pretty different in 2019 than it was in 1984. Harmes was named on the interchange the last two rounds, he's close to being dropped is he?

    I had hoped people would grasp the concept of improving in a year where we're struggling as a team, but apparently not.

    Edited by Lord Nev

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    Definitely in our top five consistent performers this year.

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    I always thought he’d take longer, like Dusty who took about 4 years before he could run out a full game in the mid field. Trac was a big unit when he started, fine at TAC/Schoolboy level but at AFL level he needed to up his tank. He missed the first year and has had interrupted pre seasons, so I believe he’s behind where Martin was. We are finally starting to see him put games together and he’s starting to pick up his averages as a result. I agree that he needs to be a bit more selfish and back himself going for goal though...maybe not his set shots though? ?

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      On 01/08/2019 at 06:28, DeeZee said:

    Definitely in our top five consistent performers this year.

    Consistency in footy is about bringing the same level of effort, commitment and performance week after week, month after month, for the entire season. Look through Petracca’s games overvthe course of the entire year, from rounds 1 to 19. He has been one of the least consistent  players in the 22. 

    Even within games where he does play okay he still goes missing for extraordinarily long periods. 

    Does not deserve the plaudits some are fawningly giving him in this thread. Nowhere near it.

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    Petracca has built in to the season as his match fitness has built up.  Looks like he’s gotten his confidence back in the second half of the season too.

    He’s ranked as an elite general forward based on his performance this season, which is some feat given how dysfunctional our forward line has been.

    Must remember he lost a full year of development due to his ACL injury, putting him a year behind De Goey, who offers a good point of comparison from Trac’s 2014 draft contemporaries.

    To a certain degree Trac suffers from the expectation placed upon his draft number and associated criticism based on what some fans hoped he would be by now. That's understandable, but potentially neglects what  what he offers.

     

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      On 08/07/2019 at 04:28, rjay said:

    This might not be popular opinion but...

    We've all been waiting for Christian Petracca to announce him self on the big stage...waiting for the big break out game.

    I think he's actually done it through the back door.

    No break out game but just some really good footy over the last period.

    Little by little.

    He's trusting himself more to take the shots, to break the packs, take on the game and he's hitting the scoreboard.

    He might not become elite or the player some had hoped for but he's heading towards "A' grade very quickly.

    He's a very good and important player to the team.

    Now...if he could fix up his set shots the sky would be the limit.

     

      On 01/08/2019 at 05:55, Lord Nev said:

    Continually hear people talking about Petracca's upcoming 'breakout game' which never seems to eventuate, and I feel like that impacts their opinions of him.

    He's quietly putting together a very good season and has steadily, albeit not linearly, improved over his career.

    Consider this for 2019:

    Averaging 18.2 disposals, 2.6 tackles, 2.1 clearances, 4 marks and 1.2 goals. (Importantly for us, handballs more than he kicks also)

    Ranked 11th in the league for total tackles inside 50, despite playing some midfield time.

    Currently rated 5th in the league for forwards, ahead of players like Stringer, Charlie Cameron and McDonald-Tipungwuti.

    And last time I heard the stat reported this year, he was the lading player in the league for winning ground balls inside 50.

    For a team with such a disconnect going forward, he has shown enough effort and talent on a consistent basis to be given a bit of credit from Dees fans. We can all be a bit hesitant to give any praise during a horror year like this, but I feel he deserves at least a modicum of encouragement for improving against the odds.

     

     

    Screen Shot 2019-08-01 at 3.39.03 pm.png

    Had a thread on this recently 'Nev'...agree with you.

    "The Incremental Bang Theory"  rather than the breakout game...

    'Matsuo'...is off the mark with his comments.

    Trac has been our best forward by a long way this season & is growing in confidence.

     

      On 01/08/2019 at 06:44, ChaserJ said:

    Petracca has built in to the season as his match fitness has built up.  Looks like he’s gotten his confidence back in the second half of the season too.

    He’s ranked as an elite general forward based on his performance this season, which is some feat given how dysfunctional our forward line has been.

    Must remember he lost a full year of development due to his ACL injury, putting him a year behind De Goey, who offers a good point of comparison from Trac’s 2014 draft contemporaries.

    To a certain degree Trac suffers from the expectation placed upon his draft number and associated criticism based on what some fans hoped he would be by now. That's understandable, but potentially neglects what  what he offers.

     

    Spot on 'Chaser'...he's at his best when he has the confidence to take the game on.

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    I’d like to see him thrown in and stay in the midfield for extended periods.  He is our best stoppage player as he absorbs tackles and that allows us to get players to the outside. Trac won’t be able to run out games but he needs more responsibility thrown at him. 

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      On 01/08/2019 at 06:49, rjay said:

    Had a thread on this recently 'Nev'...agree with you.

    "The Incremental Bang Theory"  rather than the breakout game...

    Ahhhh that'd be why I couldn't find a good thread to put this in when I searched for threads with "Petracca" in the title.

    Mods feel free to merge as I didn't see that existing thread.

    You put it really well rjay.

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    Put him in the midfield for the rest of the year until his legs go like jelly and he can’t walk. Buildeth the tanketh 

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      On 01/08/2019 at 06:09, Matsuo Basho said:

    He’s a number 2 draft pick in his fifth year at the level. The club needs more from him. A lot more.

    This is a load of rubbish. Demanding more out of a player because of the position they were taken at in the draft, something they have no say in, is bollocks. 

    Goodwin: “Look ‘Trac, you were taken at number 2, we need more from you.” Pfft. 

    Edited by Ethan Tremblay

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      On 01/08/2019 at 07:12, SFebes said:

    Put him in the midfield for the rest of the year until his legs go like jelly and he can’t walk. Buildeth the tanketh 

    He's playing 88% game time and rotating through the midfield. I think they are doing that about as smartly as they can. 

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      On 01/08/2019 at 07:16, DeeSpencer said:

    He's playing 88% game time and rotating through the midfield. I think they are doing that about as smartly as they can. 

    He’s a gun when he goes in there, would live to see more of it. That gametime would revolve around how crap our forward line is I assume. His hands are clean and he’s strong around the hips 

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    The numbers haven't made the big leap yet and he's still running out of puff after 3/4's but he's at least gone from wayward to far more predictable. 

    There's no longer any doubt that he deserves his spot and that he'll make an impact.

    This summer might well be the making of him. We'll probably know by March if he's going to play another 100 games at a decent level in a difficult position at half forward or if he's going to become a mid/forward wrecking ball.

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      On 01/08/2019 at 07:18, SFebes said:

    He’s a gun when he goes in there, would live to see more of it. That gametime would revolve around how crap our forward line is I assume. His hands are clean and he’s strong around the hips 

    True, but if you wanted to get the most out of him as a midfielder you'd play him 70% to not over do him and have him play well before ramping it up. They're trying to get a heap of run in his legs with frequent midfield stints whilst also trying to keep the forward line potent. Difficult balancing act.

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    If he sharpened up his kicking for goal, alot of people would change there perception on CP5.

    Some of his set shot kicking has been diabolical at times. needs massive improvement over the summer.

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      On 01/08/2019 at 07:22, DeeSpencer said:

    True, but if you wanted to get the most out of him as a midfielder you'd play him 70% to not over do him and have him play well before ramping it up. They're trying to get a heap of run in his legs with frequent midfield stints whilst also trying to keep the forward line potent. Difficult balancing act.

    I guess that’s my point, season is over, build and plan for the future, I don’t care if he doesn’t play forward. He’s very hit and miss as a forward tbh, maybe even overrated 

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      On 01/08/2019 at 07:14, Ethan Tremblay said:

    This is a load of rubbish. Demanding more out of a player because of the position they were taken at in the draft, something they have no say in, is bollocks. 

    Goodwin: “Look ‘Trac, you were taken at number 2, we need more from you.” Pfft. 

    “Look Trac, we know you had the talent to be considered the second best kid in the nation at draft time but we’re not concerned about that investment in your ability now. Just roll along at half rat power and bob up with goal every now and then and we’re good.”

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    Petracca is a very good AFL player suffering under the expectations of being a superstar, and i still think he would get there. he's the number 2 ranked general forward in the AFL, right up there in ground balls, getting 20 odd touches and kicking goals most games. he'd be in conversations although will probably miss out on the all australian squad. 

    Personally i'd love to see him boost his running and play more midfield time but he's tracking along nicely. 

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