Christian Petracca likened to footy legends Sam Kekovic, Ron Barassi, Tim Watson
SIMON GOODWIN reckons Christian Petracca has all the makings of Dustin Martin, but there are a couple of other legends he brings back memories of, JON ANDERSON writes.
Melbourne
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IT was just what Melbourne supporters wanted to hear, a mouth-watering teaser from coach Simon Goodwin about the type of player Christian Petracca will become.
And when he named Dustin Martin as that player, it just added to the excitement that surrounds a young man who at 186cm and 94kg boasts a rare mix of strength and speed.
Petracca is actually listed as being eight kilograms heavier than Martin, posing the question as to what he will be capable of as his journey evolves.
The Demons are confident he has the endurance to combine midfield duties with goalkicking forays up forward, making him an extremely valuable commodity.
You could argue the most recent Brownlow medallists in Patrick Dangerfield and Nat Fyfe, but neither has quite the same natural affinity with scoring that Petracca can claim.
LISTEN TO ANDO TALK ABOUT PETRACCA’S COMPARISONS IN THE PLAYER BELOW
His skill set is reminiscent of the 185cm and 96kg Tim Watson in the 1970s-80s, when his explosive game set crowds alight.
Or Sam Kekovich (187cm, 95kg) for North Melbourne in the 1960s-70s, a powerhouse who seemed capable of kicking goals on the run despite a defender hanging into him.
And that isn’t mentioning the couple of backmen who had already been steamrolled by “Slammin’ Sam” as he set sail for goal.
The prototype for such players had been established in the 1950s by the legendary Ron Barassi, a 179cm and 87kg ruck rover who was also good enough to kick 330 goals.
As a coach you end up wanting two of them, hence the mouth-watering prospect for Geelong coach Chris Scott of Gary Ablett playing in the same side as Dangerfield.
Petracca, like Martin, doesn’t have a like-bodied teammate to play the same role, which only goes to show how rare such players are. And how exciting the one-time national basketball prospect from Beverley Hills is at age 21.
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