Player Watch #5: Christian Petracca – Norm Smith Medallist, 4x All-Australian and 2x Best and Fairest (re-commits to Melbourne)

[demondavey]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-01-16/gawn-ok-with-players-taking-torture-to-union

Past the crux of the article was this delicious little tidbit ...


35 seconds off a 2km time is massive improvement. Hopefully he's set himself up for a huge year.

Enjoying the sound of that. My mate saw him yesterday in Richmond, I asked how he looked and he said 'big and fit'.

2018 could be a big year for the Trac.

 

[Vdubs]

Enjoying the sound of that. My mate saw him yesterday in Richmond, I asked how he looked and he said 'big and fit'.

2018 could be a big year for the Trac.

Was a massive star at Eastern Ranges. Players senior to him used to stop and just watch the Ablettesque snr things he did.

 

[markm106]

If you look back at his u18 highlights he’s very Danger like. So powerful.

 

[schmuttt]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-01-16/gawn-ok-with-players-taking-torture-to-union

Past the crux of the article was this delicious little tidbit ...


35 seconds off a 2km time is massive improvement. Hopefully he's set himself up for a huge year.

That is insane. Also helps this could be his first full preseason?

 

[schmuttt]

If you look back at his u18 highlights he’s very Danger like. So powerful.

Slower version of Danger (Trac isn’t slow but Danger is lightning quick) with a better kick.

 

[Vdubs]

Slower version of Danger (Trac isn’t slow but Danger is lightning quick) with a better kick.

Don't you guys remember GAS ?
Or you don't rate him ?
Seriously, he has some senior attributes

 

[Topkent]

Don't you guys remember GAS ?
Or you don't rate him ?
Seriously, he has some senior attributes

You've got a friend in Theseventhhamster

 

[ponsdale]

35 seconds off a 2km time is massive improvement. Hopefully he's set himself up for a huge year.

I hope so.

I also hope that this isn't just because he had a relatively shit 2km time last year...

 

[TheCount]

I hope so.

I also hope that this isn't just because he had a relatively shit 2km time last year...

Well given he was seemingly fit enough to be a Fwd/Mid, you'd think regardless of the actual time he ran, he'll now be fit enough to be a Mid/Fwd

 

[demondavey]

Well given he was seemingly fit enough to be a Fwd/Mid, you'd think regardless of the actual time he ran, he'll now be fit enough to be a Mid/Fwd

Which is what will make us far more dynamic. We have the inside types to extract the ball, I'd like to see him operate through the middle and half forward using that pace to be more of an outside user. He definitely has speed.

 

[demondavey]

That is insane. Also helps this could be his first full preseason?

Did his knee in 14? Year he was drafted. I reckon he has had a few now but over the last few years his fitness has definitely improved. He seems leaner as well, he was really big in U/18s, I mean his thick now but lost the puppy fat.

 

[TheCount]

Did his knee in 14? Year he was drafted. I reckon he has had a few now but over the last few years his fitness has definitely improved. He seems leaner as well, he was really big in U/18s, I mean his thick now but lost the puppy fat.

He did his knee in '15, then broke his foot at the start of '16, so he had (i think) a full preseason last year, but regardless, it's always going to take a few preseasons for any player to build up the tank and the size.

 

[schmuttt]

Don't you guys remember GAS ?
Or you don't rate him ?
Seriously, he has some senior attributes

I probably wasn’t going to compare him to arguably the best of all time

 

[Demonkings]

Don't you guys remember GAS ?
Or you don't rate him ?
Seriously, he has some senior attributes

I rate Gary Ablett Snr

 

[Demon 16]

I rate Gary Ablett Snr

Who?

 

[fushy]

Who?

Good Old Dude

 

[markm106]

Don't you guys remember GAS ?
Or you don't rate him ?
Seriously, he has some senior attributes

my main memories of GAS atenhim playing FF and kicking plenty of bags. Probably something Trac could do later in his career.

 

[Vdubs]

my main memories of GAS atenhim playing FF and kicking plenty of bags. Probably something Trac could do later in his career.

In case you haven't marvelled at this before, this is his early career, wing, hff, and I do see something of Petracca

 

[markm106]

In case you haven't marvelled at this before, this is his early career, wing, hff, and I do see something of Petracca

Cheers. What a gun he was.

 

[Vdubs]

same number too

 

[Ando727]

Was a massive star at Eastern Ranges. Players senior to him used to stop and just watch the Ablettesque snr things he did.

Darren Bewirk was on SEN today talking about the time he spent coaching Petracca at the Eatern Ranges. Said he was a competitive beast and he saw him being a champion of the competition pretty soon. Also said he reads the play very instinctively and has the X-factor Melbourne needs. Just needs to build the body to let him do it.

 

[demondavey]

same number too

Gee he is solid isn't he

 

[Vdubs]

 

[Devastating Boris]

Trac ANB and Stretch all in the best

 

[Topkent]

In case you haven't marvelled at this before, this is his early career, wing, hff, and I do see something of Petracca

This is why those dog shit threads on the main board are a joke about Danger/Fyfe/Martin being the greatest of all time. They don't deserve to be in the same conversation as GAS

Funny too watching him run around in the Hawks jumper, imagine if Melbourne had lost Ablett in the early 80s and had too watch him. Losing Gerard Healy probably nearly killed us in the 80s.

In a direct comparison main difference I see between the 2 is Abletts pace. Track is powerful but he's not a yard quicker than his competition like Ablett was. I would love to have seen track playing with 80s rules though he would have caused as much carnage as Ablett or an late 90s Ricciuto