Christian Petracca reality check after failed bid for AFL trade

The fallout from Christian Petracca’s ill-fated plans to leave Melbourne is continuing after the gun midfielder’s major U-turn.

The fallout to the ongoing Christian Petracca drama with the Melbourne Football Club has continued, with the star Demon labelled “hopelessly naive” on Monday.

The future of the 28-year-old, who is recovering from the serious injury he suffered in the King’s Birthday clash with Collingwood back in June, became the talk of the footy world in recent weeks.

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Despite being contracted through the 2029 season on a monster deal, Petracca was said to be fed-up with the Demons’ culture and direction and was pushing for a trade to a Victorian rival.

As the drama was reaching a crescendo on Saturday, the club released an odd “exclusive” statement declaring Petracca had recommitted to the Demons and would be seeing out his contract with the club he won a premiership with in 2021.

Christian Petracca after suffering the heavy hit against the Pies. Photo: Michael Klein

Fox Footy reporter Jon Ralph detailed some of the repercussions to the public stoush On the Couch on Monday night.

“This was real for a very long time until it wasn’t on Saturday night,” Ralph said of the trade demand.

“He and his partner Bella drove this trade for a significant amount of time.

“The options dried up though, he might still get the cultural change he wants, he still might get the positive result, but I think he was hopelessly naive about the process itself and thinking it might stay quiet.”

It was anything but quiet as there were daily media reports over the saga.

Melbourne great Garry Lyon stated throughout the sorry period his belief Petracca would stay and he gave his thoughts on the program.

“We said all along we didn’t think the football club were going to trade Christian and they stuck true to that,” the ex-Demons skipper said.

Petracca in happier times with the Demons. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

“It hasn’t been a great couple of weeks for Melbourne, probably not for Christian either to have to go through it.

“The truth lies somewhere in the middle and you can apportion blame how you see fit.

“Bottom line is get in a room and sort it out and belatedly they did.”

Amid Petracca’s desire to leave, a number of other Melbourne players were positioning to make an exit at a time when the club’s culture was under huge scrutiny.

Alex Neal-Bullen is on his way to the Crows, while young gun Kysaiah Pickett was reportedly exploring his options.

Lyon felt the Petracca resolution would have a flow-on effect for the embattled club that finished a lowly 14th on the ladder in 2024.

“He’s there, Kozzie will stay, Jack Viney’s going to stay, Max (Gawn) has re-signed, get on with it now,” Lyon said.

“It was ugly and there will be some casualties along the way as well.

“But I think this has happened a lot in the footy landscape, unfortunately for Melbourne this one played out really publicly and he (Petracca) happens to be one of the best players in the competition.”

Garry Lyon (centre) has been consistent throughout the saga. Picture: Alex Coppel

Kate Roffey is expected to part ways with the Demons next year. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

While Nathan Buckley stated on the program his belief there was “still work to be done” for the club to get back on track, there is movement behind the scenes.

Ralph is confident current president Kate Roffey will depart her role next year, with former Demon Steven Smith understood to be in line to take over, news which took Lyon by surprise.

Lyon did feel the club had an opportunity now to completely air its “dirty linen” and start afresh.

“You get in that room and say I own this, you own that, let’s get on with it,” he said.

“They’ve got a lot of work to do and I think it’s an exciting time, when you can put all your dirty linen out on the table.

“There’s no club in the AFL that’s had its linen more exposed than Melbourne, now we sit and wait and see what they’re going to do.”

Originally published as Christian Petracca reality check after failed bid for AFL trade