By Danny Russell
Disgruntled Demon Christian Petracca has ended weeks of speculation about his future by declaring he is committed to playing with Melbourne next year.
In a club statement released on Saturday night, Petracca said football remained his No.1 priority.
Christian Petracca.Credit: Getty
“As for my future at the Melbourne Football Club, I remain committed to playing for the red and the blue,” Petracca said.
Petracca, 28, admitted he had raised concerns about the club during his end-of-year review process.
“I have been in open communication with the player leadership group and club leaders to ensure we can work together to improve as a club,” Petracca said.
“I make no apologies for wanting to better our club and contribute to our success both on and off the field.”
The 2021 Norm Smith medallist and premiership player did not specify publicly what his concerns were.
Petracca’s issues with Melbourne surfaced publicly three weeks ago after he returned from an extended break following serious on-field injuries sustained on the King’s Birthday.
The star midfielder suffered a lacerated spleen, a punctured lung and broken ribs, and spent time in intensive care.
The injuries left him fighting for his life, and he has since shared details of the harrowing surgery from which he recovered in the intensive care unit, which has left him with physical and psychological trauma.
The Demons were told in recent weeks that their Norm Smith medallist wanted a trade, preferably to a powerhouse rival in Melbourne with bigger crowds and more marketing power, despite having five years remaining on his contract.
When asked about his future, Melbourne president Kate Roffey came under fire on Thursday when she admitted she had not had a conversation with Petracca about his grievances.
“What I need to hear is, ‘Christian, what are the issues that you have with the club and how do we work towards a resolution?’” Roffey told SEN.
Petracca’s concerns included his belief that Melbourne people did not check in with him enough in the aftermath of his King’s Birthday injury, the pending departure of teammate Alex Neal-Bullen, and previous culture issues at the club including Clayton Oliver’s troubles and the doping charges faced by teammate Joel Smith over a positive cocaine test.
Christian Petracca was seriously injured in the King’s Birthday clash.Credit: AFL Photos
He has spoken to his teammates, coach Simon Goodwin and club leaders about his concerns at a number of meetings about these issues, including one with members of the Demons’ leadership group – captain Max Gawn, Tom Sparrow and Jack Viney – last weekend.
Club CEO Gary Pert said on Saturday in the statement that feedback from Petracca had made Melbourne a “better organisation”.
“Over the past month, we have been open about the fact that Christian has shared some thoughts on how we can improve and better ourselves as a footy club,” Pert said.
“These conversations have made us a better organisation, and we’re grateful that Christian, like all our leaders, are willing to have the tough conversations to drive success.”
Petracca is still affected by his injuries, telling this masthead three weeks ago that he was not allowed to lift his heart rate above 110.
He said he had “lost a significant amount of conditioning, both aerobically and strength-wise”. “I’m just trying to take each day as it comes – it’s obviously been an emotional rollercoaster and some days I’m feeling good and other days I’m not feeling good – but it is really just nice to be back active again,” Petracca said earlier this month.
“It’s going to be a long process, but round one isn’t until March next year, so I’ve got plenty of time to focus on that and get back to the strength level and fitness level I was at,” he said.
Petracca said he planned on going on an overseas pre-season camp at the end of the year to prepare himself for his 2025 campaign.
Pert said the club valued Petracca as a player, person and a leader.
“I know a lot of young Demons proudly wearing the number five on their back will be eagerly counting down the days until we see Christian back out on the footy field playing the game he loves,” Pert said.
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