‘Pretty flattening’: Gawn reveals Dees ‘fractures’ as Petracca tells teammates about his future

Melbourne captain Max Gawn has conceded there would be “fractures” in the Demons playing group after missing out on finals but tried to talk down reports superstar teammate Christian Petracca wants out of the club.

It comes after Petracca spoke to teammates on Monday about his future at the Demons.

The Herald Sun reported Petracca wanted “to provide clarity and understanding” about his situation following the life-threatening injuries suffered in the King’s Birthday game, which have seen him miss the rest of the season.

Watch every game of every round this Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today >

“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,” Melbourne footy boss Alan Richardson said.

“So that’s 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 he’s, 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.”

Some of Petracca’s teammates were initially frustrated with the superstar taking an extended break in Noosa during a finals push.

But Gawn, who has re-signed until the end of 2027, said he was in “open conversations” with Petracca and explained the playing group now understands him heading north.

According to the Herald Sun Petracca is interested in a trade but it is extremely unlikely he leaves, given the high price – likely to be two early first-round picks, or two first-round picks and a player – and his salary of over $1 million.

Even requesting a trade is unlikely since Petracca would first need to know there is a realistic option for him. He will not request a trade if he fears he’ll have to return to the Demons in 2025.

Collingwood would be the front-runner according to the report but the Magpies have no first-round pick this year thanks to the Lachie Schultz trade.

Melbourne will close out its 2024 campaign against Collingwood on Friday night after which Gawn said he would take the time to talk to all the important people at the club to work on “how we make this club better”.

But while he said everyone, including himself, was disappointed at how the season played out, mixed messages of player discontent “can circulate around” as they express their frustration.

“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.”

Last week, both Melbourne chief executive Gary Pert and coach Simon Goodwin were adamant Petracca, who is contracted until the end of 2029, would see out the remaining years of his contract “and beyond” after it was reported he could seek a trade.

Despite those assertions, more reports over the weekend suggested Petracca “wants out” in part due to internal angst about him spending so much time away from the club while injured.

Gawn, however, moved to shut that down and said post-season conversations would all be geared around healing any rifts and putting the club back on course for 2025.

“Obviously, the Trac stuff, I’m in open dialogue with Trac, I don’t see the build-up that has happened,” he told Triple M.

“He went away for nine, 10 weeks, four of them to Noosa. He had to spend a few weeks at home after the surgery. I’m happy he did that. I’m happy he went away and any player that is struggling with anything that’s going on, it doesn’t have to be two weeks in the ICU that Trac had, it could be a rolled ankle.

“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.

“I’m pretty focused on Collingwood to be honest.

“We play Friday, then Saturday and Sunday will be a write-off, then come Monday, Tuesday, I will start talking to the board, CEO, Goody, all the players about how we make this club better and I think that’s the way to do it.”