Christian Petracca

[Demonland 70,216]

Melbourne captain Max Gawn has conceded there would be “fractures” in the Demons playing group after missing out on finals but hosed down renewed reports that superstar teammate Christian Petracca wanted out of the club.

Gawn, who has re-signed until the end of 2027, said he was in “open conversations” with Petracca and denied any suggestion the playing group was upset with him spending time in Noosa while he recovered from the car-crash-like injuries in June that forced him to spend two weeks in hospital.

But while he said everyone, including himself, was disappointed at how the season played out, mixed messages of player discontent “can circulate around” as they express their frustration.

“There’s always fractures in a team which has played finals for four years and now isn’t playing finals,” Gawn said on Monday.

“We’re pretty flat on that. At the halfway mark we were top four, that’s pretty flattening.

“My mum and dad, if they are talking to friends, would say ‘Max is pretty disappointed at the moment’ and I am. You can see how things can circulate around.”

Gawn, however, moved to shut that down and said post-season conversations would all be geared around healing any rifts and putting the club back on course for 2025.

“Obviously, the Trac stuff, I’m in open dialogue with Trac, I don’t see the build-up that has happened,” he told Triple M.

“He went away for nine, 10 weeks, four of them to Noosa. He had to spend a few weeks at home after the surgery. I’m happy he did that. I’m happy he went away and any player that is struggling with anything that’s going on, it doesn’t have to be two weeks in the ICU that Trac had, it could be a rolled ankle.

“Anyone that is struggling, more than happy to grant leave. That will all play out, there will be conversations held over the next two weeks.

“I’m pretty focused on Collingwood to be honest.

“We play Friday, then Saturday and Sunday will be a write-off, then come Monday, Tuesday, I will start talking to the board, CEO, Goody, all the players about how we make this club better and I think that’s the way to do it.”

[Ted Lasso 18,739]

Ignore that, already posted haha

Edited August 19 by Ted Lasso

[DubDee 24,293]

3 hours ago, chookrat said:

After 64 pages it looks like we have established that Tracc is frustrated about something...

LOL

Can't get his heart rate above 110bpm for months

Trac Gotta Have It!

[Dr. Gonzo 23,672]

13 hours ago, Lucifers Hero said:

Why was it Trac's job to 'clarify it' to the players?  He probably had no idea what the players were told.   Did anyone tell him that or tell him players were frustrated?

Someone at the Club approved his trip to Noosa.  Somehow the reasons for it didn't filter down to players but presumably Richardson, Goodwin and Gawn knew.

Yet no one seems to have told the players the reasons leaving them to guess and get frustrated.  And players could have asked the captain or coach. 

If they really needed it explained to them then footy players are a lot dumber than I imagined. I mean, I know they look at anyone who reads a book as a bit "kooky" and "different" but I didn't think they were that oblivious as to think someone who suffered a significant critical injury who couldn't rehab or do any kind of strenuous activity for a while might want to get away for a couple of weeks.

[DeeMee 842]

I really thought Trac would be heart and soul Demons so pretty unhappy at what is playing out.

If it is stuff like social media exposure would be even more disgusted.

It appears to me the club looks after players welfare pretty well and are considerate of extenuating circumstances- see Langdon, ANB, Clarrie and Kossie.

My worry is whether Trac will ever recover his brilliance after such a devastating injury and associated mental demons.

[Demongirl35 975]

If Trac comes out in trade week and said get me out of here how would you guys feel about him? 
 

I’d feel a little dirty towards him honestly… that’s just my feelings at the thought of it atm 

[DubDee 24,293]

Well this thread has escalated quickly

Everything I have observed from afar with Trac is that he has been a lovely guy who always has time for fans and kids and a great teammate who despite his talent, plays for the team.  He signed up long term when he didn't have to and got us a flag.

Now after the last 48 hours he is a judas who is rude to fans, hates the club, only thinks of himself and just wants to go to a big club so he can get more followers on his insta page.

[Gawndy the Great 9,008]

Just now, Demongirl35 said:

If Trac comes out in trade week and said get me out of here how would you guys feel about him? 
 

I’d feel a little dirty towards him honestly… that’s just my feelings at the thought of it atm 

He would be dead to me. There is no go home factor / family element about it - so for mine would become the biggest villain next to Maynard for the MFC. 
 

Id boo him with as much intensity as I would Maynard and other Filth.
 

it would completely undo his legacy he has built with the MFC. 

[Gawndy the Great 9,008]

2 minutes ago, DubDee said:

Well this thread has escalated quickly

Everything I have observed from afar with Trac is that he has been a lovely guy who always has time for fans and kids and a great teammate who despite his talent, plays for the team.  He signed up long term when he didn't have to and got us a flag.

Now after the last 48 hours he is a judas who is rude to fans, hates the club, only thinks of himself and just wants to go to a big club so he can get more followers on his insta page.

Yes, if he goes , he is Judas. 

[Demongirl35 975]

2 minutes ago, Gawndy the Great said:

He would be dead to me. There is no go home factor / family element about it - so for mine would become the biggest villain next to Maynard for the MFC. 
 

Id boo him with as much intensity as I would Maynard and other Filth.
 

it would completely undo his legacy he has built with the MFC. 

I would be so filthy if he left and only wanted to go to Collingwood.

I wouldn’t see this as angry at the club I would see it as the right excuse to leave for them. If you want out then you’re happy to go anywhere else. 

[Oxdee 255]

It’s a major concern that trac hasn’t come out to the media to quash the rumours. It’s as if he is happy with the noise persisting. 
 

[picket fence 16,631]

4 minutes ago, Gawndy the Great said:

Yes, if he goes , he is Judas. 

Um Judas as in Iscariot1??

[jumbo returns 6,703]

Go and go now :)

Get the best deal possible

It's going to be a great watching Windsor McVee Kosi JVR Petty Turner Howes Rivers Tholstrup Woey Brown AMW all start to build and build

[ElDiablo14 4,903]

1 hour ago, layzie said:

So perception is reality?

Fair enough. Quite a lot of the time, it is.

On point C.

Why have the meeting so publicly? You can have a private meeting, given the current noise around this whole situation. Just my POV.

[Colm 1,918]

1 hour ago, John Crow Batty said:

I would take a straight swap for Weddle. As good as Trac but 8 years younger. 

Would be close enough I’d say maybe we’d want a second rounder thrown in.  They also have Battle and maybe Barrass coming in so could afford to lose him. 

[Dr. Gonzo 23,672]

4 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

I agree with most of this hut playing devil’s advocate, if the AFL allow clubs to trade picks two years out, most of those clubs will be able to offer first rounders in 2024, 2025 and 2026. 

If he wants to go, Trac will put that to the club with a trade request and try to convince us that we’re better off with three first round picks than a player who doesn’t want to be here. 

And you can guarantee the media will be all about us being unreasonable if we don't accept it.

[Ugottobekidding 1,045]

I have met trac always been polite and friendly.

[John Crow Batty 8,763]

I find it hard to believe teammates would be upset with Petracca spending a month at Noosa recovering from a life threatening injury as well as knowing that he won’t be able to train properly for months or play till next season. It just doesn’t make sense. I smell bull.

[ChaserJ 4,638]

 

Edited August 19 by ChaserJ

[Ted Lasso 18,739]

2 minutes ago, John Crow Batty said:

I find it hard to believe teammates would be upset with Petracca spending a month at Noosa recovering from a life threatening injury as well as knowing that he won’t be able to train properly for months or play till next season. It just doesn’t make sense. I smell bull.

I agree, and Max has basically said as much, he's gone with the teams blessing. i feel like whoever is feeding Tom Morris information is only giving part of the story. 

[DubDee 24,293]

2 minutes ago, John Crow Batty said:

I find it hard to believe teammates would be upset with Petracca spending a month at Noosa recovering from a life threatening injury as well as knowing that he won’t be able to train properly for months or play till next season. It just doesn’t make sense. I smell bull.

it’s hard to believe as it’s most probably complete nonsense 

[Ted Lasso 18,739]

1 minute ago, ChaserJ said:

 

Anyone able to post the article?

[roy11 3,652]

15 minutes ago, Oxdee said:

It’s a major concern that trac hasn’t come out to the media to quash the rumours. It’s as if he is happy with the noise persisting. 
 

I'd assume most of the team would and should have some grievances.
 

Trac's silence can be interpreted multiple ways to suit different theories.  I assume both he and the club are waiting until after the Collingwood game before having further talks. But then again I am interpreting it this way.

[DubDee 24,293]

2 minutes ago, ChaserJ said:

 

WHAT DID HE SAY!?!?

[Demonland 70,216]

Melbourne superstar Christian Petracca addressed his premiership teammates about his reported issues at the club this morning.

Petracca spoke with his teammates late morning at the club to discuss the speculation he was interested in a trade from the Demons.

The meeting was to provide clarity and understanding about what he had experienced in the wake of his life-threatening injuries in the King’s Birthday clash against Collingwood.

That included the physical and mental impact on him in the wake of suffering a ruptured spleen, four broken ribs and lacerated lung.

Melbourne has strongly denied it will consider trading him.

The Demons did not return calls.