Christian Petracca addresses teammates amid trade exit rumours

Melbourne Demons superstar Christian Petracca has reportedly come clean to teammates over rumours he wants to leave the club.

Petracca spoke about his injury. Pic: Michael Klein

Melbourne superstar Christian Petracca has cleared the air with his teammates over his reported issues with the club after his horror injury that have sparked rumours of a bombshell trade.

The Herald Sun reported Petracca spoke with his teammates on Monday morning, discussing situation which has led to suggestions he had one foot out the door.

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In 2021, Petracca signed a monster seven-year extension worth a reported $900,000 per season until the end of 2029.

But after being bundled out of the finals in straight sets twice since the 2021 premiership season and missing the finals in 2024, it’s been far from smooth sailing for the Demons.

And with Petracca having been seriously injured in the King’s Birthday clash against Collingwood which left the 28-year-old with four broken ribs, a lacerated spleen and a small puncture in a lung, which required emergency surgery to stop the bleeding and ended his season.

The injuries were likened to a car crash.

Petracca was in a bad way. Pic: Michael Klein

Christian Petracca has serious injuries.

The meeting reportedly touched on the situation Petracca went through after the life-threatening injuries, including the mental impact it had on him.

Petracca had taked an extended break in Noosa earlier this month and returned to the club last week, where he expressed his frustrations with the club.

While Petracca is reportedly open to a trade with Nine’s Tom Morris telling Footy Furnace that the star “would leave if he was out of contract”, adding “the truth is he wants to go”.

However, Demons footy boss Alan Richardson said it was the meeting Petracca needed to have.

“The fact that he told them today speaks to how challenging this has been. He hasn’t really felt comfortable enough to be able to speak to the players about that up until now,” Richardson said.

“So that’s what was said. And I suppose I’ve just given you a reason why it happened today. It was because that speaks to how difficult a period this has been for him.

“I think everyone externally, we’ve got a pretty good understanding internally, but externally, have been unsure as to why Christian’s not talking, and it’s that’s because of the way that he’s feeling and the way that he’s coping with this, with this trauma that he’s been through.”

He added: “He’s got five years to go on a contract, and today was a pretty important step for him, to be able to talk to the way that he’s been feeling.

“But we love him. We know that it’s been a challenging period. He’s got five years. He’s red and blue. He’s going to make us better. Has he aired some frustrations throughout this period? Yes, he has.”

Demons captain Max Gawn downplayed the reports, claiming “fractures” were caused by the disappointment of missing finals.

“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.”

He told Triple M he had spoke to Petracca and that he was happy for him to go away on leave.

“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,” he said.

However, it’s believed a trade would be unlikely with any deal requiring at least two early-first round draft picks.

A Petracca move is unlikely. Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Collingwood are seen as the frontrunners if a trade eventuated, but the Magpies don’t have a first round pick in the season’s draft.

“I’d bet he’d look good in black and white. I’ve got a car park here he can have too if he wants it,” Magpies coach Craig McRae said last week.

Petracca could push the issue, but the Demons have also denied that it will consider trading him.

Over the last week, Melbourne CEO Gary Pert hit back at the claims Petracca wanted out, while Demons great Garry Lyon said there was “not a snowflake’s chance in hell” he’d be shipped out.

Speaking on AFL 360, Mark Robinson said he felt Petracca “needed to be told that the club loved him”.

“Maybe Christian Petracca didn’t feel that love, maybe he had to be told ‘hey mate, we still love you’,” Robinson said.

Robinson added he’d be “staggered” if Petracca wasn’t in Melbourne next year.

On Fox Footy’s On the Couch, Lyon said he believed there was an issue after the injury.

But he added the seven-year deal meant a trade “ain’t gonna happen”.

However, he conceded that after three more seasons, if Petracca still wasn’t happy, then he suggested a trade with the new Tasmanian franchise coming into the AFL in 2028.