Thinking about players like Danger or Dusty, these are big bodied midfielders that have a strong capability to find and deliver the ball through the middle, go forward and take a mark and kick goals, and also have a bit of an X factor.

From our list, Trac is really the only  ‘guy’ that can play this role.  No one else fits the bill, and he has the capacity to stretch up to be that player.  This is an absolutely matchwinning role, and wee have seen what Dusty or Danger (even a Cripps) can deliver.

As part of a key midfield group of Oliver, Harmes, Viney and Trac, each has a different set of skills.  I hope that in 2020 they get their setups better organised to utilise these skills to better advantage, and Trac grows into ‘our Dusty’.

Petracca needs to just be Petracca. There doesn't need to be any pressure to replicate Dusty or Dangerfield. I think Petracca has a different set of traits to either player as well. Petracca needs to work out how he can best use his attributes in the midfield. He is a unique player.

I think Petracca cops a lot of unfair critisism. this season he was ranked in the top 5 general forwards all year, and right up the pointy end for forward half ground ball gets and scoring assists. 

fair effort in a team that finished 17th. 

he's doing fine. as his tank builds he'll spend more time in the middle but i think often what he does goes unnoticed which is unfortunate

To be fair I thought he was ok this year. He’s never going to have the foot skills of Martin but then many don’t. 

Ultimately I think this is why supporters are let down by certain players, the expectation that they’ll be the equivalent of another teams star. 

I have no issues with Trac, he’ll continue to build his tank and fitness and will be his own star. 

If we can develop Oliver, Harmes, Viney, Brayshaw, Jones, ANB, AVB and Trac into a strong midfield group then we wont need a Dusty/Danger type. We will have all the attributes we need.

Go to it coaching panel.

When Geelong held their review at the end of 2006, the players held an ‘honesty session’.  During this, Ablett Jr was confronted by the playing group and told, amongst other things, that he should have been their ‘Chris Judd’.  The perception was that he had the talent to be more than  a quality half forward flank.

 

Petracca may play 200 games for the club and many of them will be quite good.  He is capable of much, much more.

 

He’s been making the right noises this off season about wanting to play midfield, and hopefully playing on ball for the final round gave him a glimpse of how much ground he needs to make up this preseason.

Christian needs to get a hell of alot fitter, trim down another 5-7 kgs off his playing weight this year.

Hopefully Burgo can place a suitable program to achieve building a bigger tank. 

  On 01/10/2019 at 03:25, Win4theAges said:

Christian needs to get a hell of alot fitter, trim down another 5-7 kgs off his playing weight this year.

Hopefully Burgo can place a suitable program to achieve building a bigger tank. 

Again, no idea, he is trimmed down, his skin folds are immaculate, we had this same tripe last year, he is big bodied

He is building up his tank, all these comparisons are tiresome, Dusty's first 3 or 4 years, he was regarded as a 'nearly' man

 

  On 01/10/2019 at 02:30, Nelo said:

To be fair I thought he was ok this year. He’s never going to have the foot skills of Martin but then many don’t. 

To be fair the big knock on Martin in his early years was his field kicking.

Feel like Petracca will our jack ziebell, he doesn’t have the pace or evasiveness to be a Martin, Danger, Ablett or Judd type

Edited October 1, 20195 yr by Garbo

  On 01/10/2019 at 04:01, rjay said:

To be fair the big knock on Martin in his early years was his field kicking.

Disagree on that.  It was his tank and aerobic capacity - would blow up late in games.  The 2013 Elimination final v Carlton was a prime example where he blitzed early and did very little in the second half.  His kicking has always been excellent.

I had a bet on Dusty for the Norm Smith this year and so I watched him pretty closely in the Grand Final. Without having the stats, he appears to run less than any midfielder in the competition. He starts in the centre bounce and only ever really runs forward. Obviously he is full throttle when the ball in nearby. The best thing about how the Tigers use him is that he plays as the deepest forward, almost like a traditional full forward. 

As much as Petracca needs to improve his tank, I would actually like to see him cover less distance in a game and conserve his energy a bit more so he can have greater intensity at the contest.

  On 01/10/2019 at 03:39, Satyriconhome said:

Again, no idea, he is trimmed down, his skin folds are immaculate, we had this same tripe last year, he is big bodied

He is building up his tank, all these comparisons are tiresome, Dusty's first 3 or 4 years, he was regarded as a 'nearly' man

 

Agree to disagree, if he can't go into the midfield now for prolonged periods and he has trimmed down according to you, that either tells me one or two things, he can't train to sustain a certain level of gut running for the periods he craves in the midfield.

 Or he can't sustain it because he is in AFL terms to heavy to play prolonged midfield minutes. Remember he's 23 years old not 20.

If you have played any sport that requires a high level of fitness, the heavier you are the quicker you fatigue 3-4 kgs less is a massive difference.

Dusty should be his prototype he is roughly the same height 187 cm weights 93 kgs, Tracc Height 186cms Weight 96kgs, 3 kgs difference.

If he can get to 92 kgs you will see a different player, hope burgo can get the best out of him .

 

 

If every one of the 22 play out of their skin and come into 2020 in VG condition then we will hopefully see Tracc take it to another level.

He isn't Dusty but in his own way he could be a very solid player that occasionaly puts in a blinder and turns a match.

Above and beyond that who knows.  I guess that level is in his hands and in many ways that of the current playing group and the recruiting dept.

Edited October 1, 20195 yr by Rusty Nails

  On 01/10/2019 at 03:25, Win4theAges said:

Christian needs to get a hell of alot fitter, trim down another 5-7 kgs off his playing weight this year.

Hopefully Burgo can place a suitable program to achieve building a bigger tank. 

Part of achieving that or getting there W4 might include lightening up his frame a tad in order to try and quicken up aspects of agility.  Assist in evading and burning off opponents more often vs heavier frame = more emphasis on bullocking / grunt work.  Helps a tad with outside game also?

Might also help with his forward mobility a little and moving into space to receive more often.

Much of it probably depends on what sort of role Goody & Co have in mind for 2020?  Likely more mid field time but mostly inside?  or a balance between inside/outside?  Then there's the pushing forward aspect and getting back to defend.

Though a solid player, he lack the influence and gut busting burst to be a match winner at the death. It’s a joke to compare him with Dusty. Petracca has had a long time to get to those heights and likely never will now. 

I only talked about his body type not about Dusty the footballer, he's a long way off it.

He can have the biggest of pre seasons, hit his weight target etc, but he has to work on his goal kicking and field kicking other wise he will never reach elite levels.

  On 01/10/2019 at 06:31, america de cali said:

Though a solid player, he lack the influence and gut busting burst to be a match winner at the death. It’s a joke to compare him with Dusty. Petracca has had a long time to get to those heights and likely never will now. 

 

  On 01/10/2019 at 06:02, Win4theAges said:

Agree to disagree, if he can't go into the midfield now for prolonged periods and he has trimmed down according to you, that either tells me one or two things, he can't train to sustain a certain level of gut running for the periods he craves in the midfield.

 Or he can't sustain it because he is in AFL terms to heavy to play prolonged midfield minutes. Remember he's 23 years old not 20.

If you have played any sport that requires a high level of fitness, the heavier you are the quicker you fatigue 3-4 kgs less is a massive difference.

Dusty should be his prototype he is roughly the same height 187 cm weights 93 kgs, Tracc Height 186cms Weight 96kgs, 3 kgs difference.

If he can get to 92 kgs you will see a different player, hope burgo can get the best out of him .

 

 

Dermot brereton had a similar view to you w4 in that he believed trac had the wrong body shape for either  midfield and kpp. He wasn't sure where his best position is. But a breakout year to be a judd martin etc is never going to happen unfortunately 

Dusty is a once in a decade or two player for his role. Perhaps more. I do not believe Christian needs to be like him to be a very good player for us. He has lots of gifts such as strength and physique but lots to work on too.

I think Tracc has most of the physical tools required to be a Dusty prototype. He has great hands, works well in heavy traffic, I think he has potentially elite field kicking ability but his set shot goal kicking needs work as we all know. The big deficiency at the moment is above the shoulders, he doesn’t have the aggression, the confidence, the sheer arrogance or the footy IQ of Dusty but who does? Tracc is a work in progress, he can work on his skills but I am not sure he has that aggression and self belief that separates the very good from the greats like Dusty.

Watching Dusty on Saturday at times I thought I was looking at Eric Cantona at his arrogant best! 

Trac had a good season, but for his talent and ability, I’m sorry if this sounds harsh but we need better than good. We need him to be outstanding if 2020 is to get us back in the premiership conversation. 

We need him, Oliver, and Brayshaw to be a triple threat of stars that have opposition coaches thinking “how do we stop them”. They each have that in them. 

  On 01/10/2019 at 04:38, Garbo said:

Feel like Petracca will our jack ziebell, he doesn’t have the pace or evasiveness to be a Martin, Danger, Ablett or Judd type

Certainly not the pace, but I think yoiu might be a tad harsh rating his "evasiveness"

His movement in traffic, and his vision are exceptional. 

It is his deplorable set shot kicking that lets him down. Well, that and an inability to impact a full game. Needs to improve fitness big time.

  On 01/10/2019 at 09:19, Pates said:

Trac had a good season, but for his talent and ability, I’m sorry if this sounds harsh but we need better than good. We need him to be outstanding if 2020 is to get us back in the premiership conversation. 

Other than talk from the club after we drafted him, what has he ever shown at AFL level to show he is elite, he has now played near 100 games and will be 24 at the start of next season and we are still waiting for that break out game. Odds are he won’t reach the hights we were all hoping for.

Brayshaw on the other hand is the bigger mystery, he was elite in the 2nd half of last year matching it with the best of them, if he can find that level again he could be talked about in the same breath as Dangerfield who isn’t a good kick either but makes the most of all his other attributes 

Edited October 1, 20195 yr by Garbo

Christian Petracca has the ability to become a superstar in the AFL.

However, he needs to get serious. Focus on getting himself the fittest he has ever been and work on his skills "craft" every day.

I think he should look to employ a former elite AFL player as his personal coach/mentor. Shane Crawford comes to mind.

In the end he needs to look in the mirror and be determined to improve himself.

 

As Paul Roos said a few years ago "you choose if you want to be great".

 

Christian Petracca needs make the choice to become a great player for the Demons.