AFL Round 17: Christian Petracca leads Melbourne to big win over Port Adelaide
Simon Goodwin has hailed a Christian Petracca-led Demons side that responded in a big way on Thursday night. And he’s proud of the group for one key reason.
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Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin has hailed the impact of midfield bull Christian Petracca after the Demons powered away from Port Adelaide to get their premiership tilt back on track.
Petracca had 33 possessions and kicked three goals as Goodwin’s men shook off a period of patchy form to score an impressive 12.14 (86) to 8.7 (55) win at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night.
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“He was outstanding … he’s taken his game to be a really consistent player in the AFL,” Goodwin said.
“Last year was clearly his breakout season, but he’s continued on in really strong form this year.
“What I’ve loved about Christian is in the bigger games, and tonight was one of those, he’s able to impact and stand up.
“He’s a highly valued member of our team.
“Some of his chase down tackles defensively … I think that’s a hallmark of when he’s at his best when he impacts on both sides of the footy.
“He likes to continue to play at a really high level, but I think he also knows that he can elevate his game.
“That’s what the best players do in the competition.”
Upset losses to Collingwood and Greater Western Sydney in their past three games had raised doubts about the Demons’ premiership credentials for some despite their barnstorming run of nine wins to start the season.
An out-of-sorts Melbourne has looked a shadow of its former self recently, failing to kick more than nine goals in the past three matches.
But the likes of Clayton Oliver, Max Gawn and Steven May were front and centre as the Demons rediscovered their stifling team defence and intense pressure around stoppages against the Power, who disappointed against quality opposition once again.
“It’s very hard to play good footy for the whole 22 rounds of a season,” Goodwin said.
“There are periods of the last six weeks where we would’ve liked to have played a bit better.
“One thing I’m really proud of at our footy club is our ability to stay calm.
“Clearly there were people who were starting to doubt us, there were people who were starting to question whether we were going to continue to perform.
“I thought our ability to respond … we were able to step up and I’m really proud of our players and I’m proud of our club for staying calm.
“I think internally there’s a lot of belief in our game, there’s a lot of belief in the way that we play and there’s a lot of trust in the playing group.
“It’s a really good position to be in so that when you’re under pressure you can draw on those experiences and come back and execute.”
Why Brayshaw stayed a Demon
- Marc McGowan
Angus Brayshaw found it impossible not to hear the trade rumours about him, centred on joining his brother Andrew at Fremantle.
He went from a Brownlow Medal podium finish in 2018 and forming a strong partnership with Max Gawn as Melbourne reached a preliminary final, to being shunted onto a wing for an underachieving non-finalist.
Or, at least that’s how people outside of the Demons viewed the situation.
With star trio Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca and Jack Viney commanding on-ball roles, the consensus view was the 25-year-old needed a fresh start to recapture his best.
But, 12 months on, with Melbourne a game clear on top of the ladder, Brayshaw told the Herald Sun he was never aggrieved about his positioning and didn’t entertain leaving.
He is a full-blown wingman these days – with a defensive bent – playing opposite the Demons’ marathon man, Ed Langdon.
The numbers don’t do justice to Brayshaw’s increased impact this season, although there’s a hint in him leading all wingers in intercept possessions.
“My head’s not in the sand. I hear these things and see these things and the people writing them, and I understand why they’re writing it,” Brayshaw said.
“They think, ‘All right, he’s not playing in the midfield, that’s a problem and he wants to get traded’, which is logical. But the people writing those things are missing what really drives me to play footy.
“Getting traded was never part of the equation. I believe in our team that we can win and that I can really help that happen.
“Can I do both of those at Melbourne? I think Melbourne is the best place for me to do that. I’ve been here for seven years and I truly love the place.”
Brayshaw’s had at least 20 disposals in only five of his 15 matches this year – a far cry from the career-best 26 he averaged three seasons ago – but that, again, doesn’t tell the full story.
His defensive contributions are no small part in why the Demons are the AFL’s second-stingiest side.
Being able to settle in one position, after moving from the wing, to the centre and even down back on any given week a year ago, has enabled Brayshaw to understand his role at a deeper level.
The industry murmurs about Melbourne last year centred on a level of selfishness among some players and an unwillingness to commit to two-way running.
It’s no coincidence that coach Simon Goodwin’s ability to transform that attitude has unlocked the Dees’ potential, but he puts it down to his group’s “maturity”.
“We’ve seen that skill set in Angus for a long time in his decision-making on the outside to help the team and enable other guys on the inside to get to work,” Goodwin said.
“Angus’ role doesn’t go unnoticed in our environment. He’s been a really important player for us.”
Brayshaw, who will be a free agent when his contract expires next year, revealed this week that Goodwin urged his players in the pre-season to trust what the coaches were telling them.
Like Goodwin, he thinks the message has sunk in and that “people have really bought into the team-first aspect”.
At least part of that owed, Brayshaw said, to how tight the group had become throughout the difficult times of the past two seasons.
“This is as close a group as I’ve ever been part of,” he said.
“All the good things we’ve done on the field have come from a really strong buy-in and strong care for one another off the field.
“We certainly wouldn’t be going this well if not for all that adversity.”
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