Christian Petracca

[The heart beats true 17,737]

4 minutes ago, raDeelaide said:

Rumour has it he missed that goal.

It was touched on the line by Marchbank.

[loges 6,767]

1 hour ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Sammy Edmund this morning.

Christian Petracca

“These are the facts as we know it. He wants to leave Melbourne. He wants to play for another club. He wants it to be a big Victorian club with all the resources that sit behind that,” Edmund said.

“Over the weekend and into yesterday he made it clear to the Demons that he wants to be traded with the five years remaining on that contract worth $1 million per season.

“Melbourne remain absolutely resolute publicly and privately that he will not be traded under any circumstances.

“I can tell you Melbourne aren’t even completely clear as to what his issues are, which is incredible.

“Depending on who Petracca talks to, it’s different. If he talks to the players, his issue is with the leadership of the club and when he talks to the leadership, his issue is with the players and the off-field stuff.

“The brand side of things has always been very important to him and then there’s even some who wonder whether his relationship with Ben Simmons on the other side of the planet had something to do with it all.

“The club is so disappointed and so bemused by it all. They’re completely perplexed. They thought it would simmer down, but it’s now abundantly clear that that’s not the case.

“Some relationships with teammates are going to need repairing if he is to remain there. There’s some real frustration there.”

Of course the club is bemused because the real issue is that someone is in his ear every day telling him they can make more money through his brand if he goes to another club. The rest is just white noise.

[Moonshadow 17,464]

2 hours ago, Jaded No More said:

I never said they are reading this thread. I said they probably Google their name and come to see what is being said about them. It's definitely not everyone, but as if an 18 year old isn't doing that.

And where is the ageist slur? I was making a point that most young men with an ego big enough to play footy, would be curious to see what is being said about them online.

Social media wasn't a big thing when I was 18, but I have a teenager and I can see just how they operate around this sort of stuff. I reckon you'd be shocked the amount of stuff that is written on here that gets back to players, either directly or indirectly.

And Trac wouldn't give one single hoot what anyone at our club thinks about him, let alone the supporters. 

The original post in this line of conversation was about players reading THIS thread. Keep up

You questioned if the internet was around in my 20s. You are trying to unnecessarily age me. That's being ageist.

Have a good day!

Edited August 27 by Moonshadow

[SPC 3,475]

6 minutes ago, Fat Tony said:

Carlton's salary cap would be tight as a drum. Any trade there would have to involve multiple players being moved out.

The Pies have no picks and would also have a tight salary cap.

We are going to ask for the world and fair enough too.

I still think he will most likely be a Demon in six weeks and we should plan accordingly.

 

Or payments outside the cap. Could Tracs Mrs be a Visy ambassador? 

[No. 31 1,052]

4 minutes ago, Fat Tony said:

Carlton's salary cap would be tight as a drum. Any trade there would have to involve multiple players being moved out.

 

I suspect that players like Martin, Marchbank, Cunningham and maybe even Williams will be out the door soon. Martin and Williams are apparently on high contracts.

Still, provision needs to be made for Weitering and TDK so its not an easy task.

[DistrACTION Jackson 8,283]

I think everyone in the AFL, the club and supporters understand that he has gone through a traumatic experience and is struggling mentally. He has mentioned this in the interviews and also explained he is seeing a psychologist who specialises in trauma. I think the thing that is perplexing to most, is this is probably not the time to be making life altering decisions, such as completely moving away from a club you have been at for 10 years and have built up many strong friendships. I understand that emotions of been high for him and his family, but surely if you're close to him you're saying Christian get yourself right, spend time working on recovery both physically and mentally and once you've done that let's discuss your plans. That might mean next year you play at Melbourne, but at least you've taken the time and worked on getting back to playing good football before leaving. If this time next year he still wants to leave then I think the club should do so.

[daisycutter 29,289]

2 hours ago, BDA said:

i'm assuming a late withdrawal. 

yep, brandus interruptus

[Jjrogan 1,391]

3 minutes ago, loges said:

Of course the club is bemused because the real issue is that someone is in his ear every day telling him they can make more money through his brand if he goes to another club. The rest is just white noise.

Novel way to cut numbers for the wedding, I'll give him that

[BDA 22,238]

Every pies supporter i know say they hate Carlton. If Trac's family are as dyed in the wool pies as i'm led to believe then they wouldn't be happy with him going to Carlton at all. 

[loges 6,767]

1 hour ago, Jaded No More said:

It sounds like the issues are just excuses, and his injury is being seen by those closest to him as a golden ticket into a bigger club.

Read the extract from the podcast, where he talks about footy just being footy, and the social media stuff.

The fact that he's telling different people different reasons, and even the people I speak to about this have no definite idea what the core of his issue is, tells me that this is all a way to cash in while he can.

If his issues were shared by the rest of the playing group, do you think there would be such angst towards him?

Thank god Jaded someone on here actually gets it. I know the people running the site have to protect themselves but they did posters on here no favours by deleting Chook in Perth's post.

[manny100 1,386]

3 minutes ago, loges said:

Of course the club is bemused because the real issue is that someone is in his ear every day telling him they can make more money through his brand if he goes to another club. The rest is just white noise.

He is right no one can nail down the issues. Even Caro who has bagged our handling of many issues cant nail down the issues and questioned whether Tracc could be a bit selfish.

I think for us to get a good deal it has to be North. Picks 2 and 20 for starters.

[Gorgoroth 12,685]

The club should go to Trac, ask him to see a psychologist with or without people from the club and put it all out on the table in a safe environment. Then if he still wants to leave in 5 weeks time then he must understand that we will entertain trades but they have to be a minimum 2+ top 7 picks to even answer the call. If not, come back put it behind you and we try for another flag.

No animosity, no grudges just the fact that the MFC has to win this and if he still feels the same at the end of 25 then we do it all over again.

[KozzyCan 332]

If the bridge can't be mended with Petracca, then we seriously need to put in a new regime. Ridiculous the current group has allowed it to get to this point.

3 years after a flag and we'll have lost Brayshaw, Petracca and massive question marks over whether Oliver can ever get back to his best. May, Gawn and Viney all on the wrong side of 30. This does not a flag contender make.

Best thing for the club will be to try and hoard draft picks and reset the list with young talent. Avoid a long rebuild and sort out all the off-field stuff.

[cookieboc 731]

19 minutes ago, OhMyDees said:

If Trac retires next year - what is a fair compo from the AFL 1 or 2 first rounders?

Can he retire, for a few months and then nominate a team? Or for a season and then nominate whoever?

[titan_uranus 24,557]

25 minutes ago, Deelectable said:

It's actually hilarious.  If you scroll through Sam McCluess'article in the age he covers his 'you know what' by stating ' everyone knows the chances of a trade are remote'. Elsewhere he has used words to the effect" I'm not saying this is going to happen". Hahaha 🤣Comedy capers. Talk about 50 cents each way. Isn't this the same individual that told the football world emphatically that Harley Reid will not end up at West Coast? And people still fall for his junk. Oh for the great football journalists a la Percy Beames, Mike Sheahan etc. The standard is so poor it's plain embarrassing. 

Run the counter-factual.

If there was no truth to any of this, why hasn't Petracca or his manager said so?

There is, for example, no truth to the Harry McKay stuff, as we know his manager has said as much today.

But if there was, as you seem to think, no truth to any of the Petracca stuff, it's a very simple solution for him or his manager to say so.

The fact that they haven't is all you need to know that there is at least some truth to what is going on. And that's before you get to the people who are citing this who are not McClure (e.g. Cal Twomey, who AFAK is never wrong, agreed with it two weeks ago, Sam Edmund's agreed with it, Matthew Lloyd's had word of it, Caro's heard it, Damian Barrett's heard it).

I lean far more to the optimistic side than the pessimistic side, I honestly think Trac is my favourite ever Melbourne player, and I will be genuinely sad if he ever plays for any other club, but it is mindboggling to me that anyone would still be suggesting this might all be made up.

[Brownie 5,846]

10 minutes ago, Macca said:

That's one example but each medical emergency is possibly/probably different from the next.  

I'll take the conservative view that I can't see how he can pass a medical before the trade window ends

Besides all that, is he going to be the same player if and when he returns anyway?  

Would we willingly take him if it was roles reversed?  I'd say a majority on this site alone would say no

Most here don't want a fit & firing Houston

But a banged up 29yo who can't even go on a light jog and with what seems like a million issues?  No thanks

Ask your friends and acquaintances about whether they'd want him?  

 

I'm positive that's the card most clubs will play for sure.

"Oh Gee, he's damaged goods, mmmmm can't pass the medical, mmmm oh we'll risk it but he's not worth anywhere what you want for him sorry"

Doesn't mean he won't bounce back. It's just the card they'll play to talk his value down for sure.

I don't think our cards aren't as strong as we think. 

[roy11 3,652]

2 minutes ago, DistrACTION Jackson said:

I think everyone in the AFL, the club and supporters understand that he has gone through a traumatic experience and is struggling mentally. He has mentioned this in the interviews and also explained he is seeing a psychologist who specialises in trauma. I think the thing that is perplexing to most, is this is probably not the time to be making life altering decisions, such as completely moving away from a club you have been at for 10 years and have built up many strong friendships. I understand that emotions of been high for him and his family, but surely if you're close to him you're saying Christian get yourself right, spend time working on recovery both physically and mentally and once you've done that let's discuss your plans. That might mean next year you play at Melbourne, but at least you've taken the time and worked on getting back to playing good football before leaving. If this time next year he still wants to leave then I think the club should do so.

He may have some grievances it may be brand related but the timing is not in his favour regardless which one it is. This time next year probably opens more doors for him. When the news first came out I thought 2025 he’d be a Demon but after that it may be a different story with the future trading etc, 

Gives us a year to try fix any issues or alternatively make some enquires for other players etc. 

[ElDiablo14 4,903]

18 minutes ago, dees189227 said:

Wouldn't see nathan jones, Jim stynes or Robbie flower carry on like this

Or Max Gawn.

[SthSea22 483]

How desperate can we make NM to want to give us Larkey and Pick 2 for Trac??

[Queanbeyan Demon 6,694]

1 hour ago, The Taciturn Demon said:

This is a good post. 

The nuffie Demons fan in me - my inner Swooper Northey - is screaming "How dare you treat the club this way!" I find the idea of a genuinely great player just walking away from a club because it no longer suits him outrageous.

The angel on my shoulder, however, keep reminding me, this is a human doing completely normal human things: being overwhelmed and disoriented by trauma, finding confrontation difficult, telling different versions of a story to different people, getting bad advice from radically biased sources. I also have no doubt he has legitimate concerns that the club should treat extremely seriously. 

The "personal brand" and "bigger team" stuff is hard to swallow. The rest, if it's true, is understandable and even relatable. 

Have you read my biography?

[BDA 22,238]

34 minutes ago, Deelectable said:

It's actually hilarious.  If you scroll through Sam McCluess'article in the age he covers his 'you know what' by stating ' everyone knows the chances of a trade are remote'. Elsewhere he has used words to the effect" I'm not saying this is going to happen". Hahaha 🤣Comedy capers. Talk about 50 cents each way. Isn't this the same individual that told the football world emphatically that Harley Reid will not end up at West Coast? And people still fall for his junk. Oh for the great football journalists a la Percy Beames, Mike Sheahan etc. The standard is so poor it's plain embarrassing. 

Do you think Trac wants to be traded?

[Deelectable 1,043]

1 minute ago, BDA said:

Do you think Trac wants to be traded?

No

[Macca 16,603]

1 minute ago, Brownie said:

I'm positive that's the card most clubs will play for sure.

"Oh Gee, he's damaged goods, mmmmm can't pass the medical, mmmm oh we'll risk it but he's not worth anywhere what you want for him sorry"

Doesn't mean he won't bounce back. It's just the card they'll play to talk his value down for sure.

I don't think our cards aren't as strong as we think. 

They are definitely not (the strength of our position at the trade table) but I don't have a problem with Demon fans being optimistic in a Petracca deal

There's also his mental health issues which might mean he could miss a swathe of games (for whoever he plays for) 

And retiring on medical grounds is also a decent factor (paid out in full?)

I'm leaning towards taking what we can get to get him off the books.  Face it, what are the chances in Petracca playing for the Demons again?  

[Fat Tony 5,071]

1 minute ago, Sir Why You Little said:

I agree. I think serious meditation is needed between the parties. If The MFC are still not entirely sure what all the grievances are then, meditation sessions must happen soon. 
At least we have 6 weeks…

Trac is following the playbook for players seeking a trade.

I would not expect the club will be told anymore information about what his true grievances are (now that the exit interview is over) and we will only be speaking to his management in the offseason. There will be some more leaks to the media, but Trac will continue to be vague about his issues and tell different problems to different parties. My guess is that he has a list of things he doesn't like about the club (none of them being major). The main issue is probably that he wants to go to a club that has more chance of winning a flag and bigger crowds. 

Even if we can't really know the real problems, I think Goodwin will back his ability to turn things around. For all his perceived tactical deficiencies, he seems to have a good connection with the players.

Our plan should be to 1) tell Trac that we love him (regardless) and 2) tell his manager that we don't intent to trade him. But if we were to consider a trade, this is what it would take for us to even think about it. Let them do all the work.

[Fat Tony 5,071]

15 minutes ago, No. 31 said:

I suspect that players like Martin, Marchbank, Cunningham and maybe even Williams will be out the door soon. Martin and Williams are apparently on high contracts.

Still, provision needs to be made for Weitering and TDK so its not an easy task.

The Blues would have planned for all those contract to expire. They would be backloading contracts already.