Trent Rivers discusses Melbourne midfield move, advice from injured star Christian Petracca
Trent Rivers has revealed the advice he received from Christian Petracca after stepping into the huge midfield void left by the Melbourne superstar. He speaks to GLENN MCFARLANE about his transition to a key member of the Demons’ engine room.
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Trent Rivers was ready for the call-up even if he wished the circumstances were different.
As Melbourne wrestled with the messy aftermath of Christian Petracca’s sickening King’s Birthday injury, coach Simon Goodwin sought Rivers out for a chat in the lead-up to the clash with North Melbourne last week, talking about what life might look like in 2024 without its star midfielder.
Goodwin gave no guarantees, but offered up a carrot in the discussion with Rivers, who has played predominantly at halfback in his 91 games interspersed with some midfield cameos.
With Petracca sidelined for the remainder of the season, Rivers was told he would get the first crack in his teammate’s midfield role for the Kangaroos clash, and the coach urged the young Demons star to grasp the opportunity that was presented to him last Saturday.
“He (Goodwin) definitely spoke to me (leading up to the North Melbourne game) about going in (the midfield) and playing there,” Rivers told the Herald Sun.
“He just said ‘Go and have a crack, play in the middle and we will see how you go’.
“I was 100 per cent up for it (the challenge of a midfield move). If there is a spot for me, I would love to play there, but wherever Goody puts me on the whiteboard, I’m happy to play.”
It proved a case of opportunity taken.
On a night where Melbourne relinquished a big lead to just hold on against a fast-finishing North Melbourne, one of the more encouraging signs was Rivers’ performance through a midfield sans Petracca – which provided fans with a good look into the future.
He went into 20 centre bounces against North Melbourne – the most of any Melbourne player on the night – and was ranked No. 1 for metres gained (554) and inside 50s (six), while also No. 2 for disposals (21).
Trent Rivers kicks an absolute beauty! 🤩#AFLDeesNorthpic.twitter.com/mTRvxqSkvO
— AFL (@AFL) June 22, 2024
Importantly, he had six tackles on the night, too, an equal career-best, which showed an even more physical side to his game.
While he would have preferred to have had Petracca by his side, Rivers is certain to be back in the midfield on Friday night when the Demons take on the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba.
“I’m loving it,” he said of his extra midfield time.
“It is a different game of footy playing there. I had heaps of guys around me supporting me and showing me the ropes.
“We had some fun. Clayton (Oliver), Jack (Viney) and (Tom) Sparrow, all those boys helped me out. We had a bit of a laugh and it was good to be playing in there with them.”
Some Demons fans have been crying out for a more permanent midfield role for the 2021 premiership player, well before Petracca had his season prematurely closed with a lacerated spleen, four broken ribs and a punctured lung.
Now he is hoping to channel into Petracca’s mindset for the rest of this season, if he gets to keep that role in what will be an evolving Demons’ midfield.
He has been trading text messages with his injured teammate, mostly out of concern in his health battle. But he hopes to speak with him in greater depth about some of the midfield nuances when his recovery is complete.
Trent Rivers. pic.twitter.com/5nmuUhqEht
— MyHeartBeatsTrue (@melbournefans) July 16, 2023
“I have flicked him a few (text) messages, we have had a bit of back and forth,” Rivers said. “We are all hoping he is doing well. We love him and hopefully he can get back into the club soon.
“It would be great to watch some vision with him and go through some stuff like that.
“He is such a strong, powerhouse player, so anything I can learn from him would be great. But first we want to see him fit and well again. We want to see him back again (in 2025).”
Rivers defended the Demons’ other superstar midfielder in Oliver, who is in the worst form slump of his career coming off a limited pre-season and a blanket tagging job on him by Will Phillips last week which restricted him to a second-career worst 14 touches.
And he has forecast a return to form soon from the four-time best and fairest winner.
“Clarry is such a selfless player,” he said.
“He goes two to one (in terms of opponents) to try and free up a teammate. He gets bruised and battered, but he is one of us and we love him.
“Most people wouldn’t see what he does on the field. He lays blocks and shepherds and does all the team things that can get missed. But we don’t miss them.
“He is such a good teammate to play with. He will get back to his best. I wouldn’t want him to be on any other team.”
It comes as the Herald Sun reported this week Oliver remains committed to staying at Melbourne for the next six years of his contract with Melbourne.
Oliver, who turns 27 next month, was a part of trade discussions late last year, with Adelaide an interested party, but he now seems certain to stay with the Demons.
Rivers, a native West Australian, was pick 32 in the 2019 national draft and he is closing in on a milestone 100th game.
He remains one of Melbourne’s most important players of the next generation, having signed a contract until the end of the 2027 season.
“I love it,” he said of the club, insisting there is still life in the Demons in the chase for the finals, despite a different season so far.
“We probably have got plenty left to give this year. We haven’t been playing our best footy as we would have liked in the last few months.
“But we are 8-6 (win-loss ratio) and that’s a good platform for us to build on. You have to give yourself a chance to contend at the end of the year, and that’s what we are working on.”
The Demons fielded one of their youngest teams last weekend, with debutant Kynan Brown laying the game-saving tackle on Nick Larkey in the dying moments.
Rivers said that was a sign that the young Demons are starting to make a real impact, and he’s confident that it will help strengthen the club in the coming years.
And he hopes any lessons he learns in any extra midfield time for the rest of this year will fast track him into 2025 where he can’t wait to be playing with Petracca again.
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