The Melbourne Demons have made it clear that they no intention to let Christian Petracca godespite numerous According to reports, the 28-year-old wants to play for a rival in 2025But now it has emerged that there is a way for the Premier League winner to AFLIf Petracca chooses this path, it could be enforced by British Columbia’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
The player himself has so far refused to publicly ask for a transfer, despite five years remaining on his lucrative contract with the Demons. According to numerous reports, Petracca has made it clear he wants to move to another Victorian club in 2025. Collingwood and Carlton have been linked, but both ruled out a move for the midfield star this week.
However, The Herald Sun‘s Jon Ralph revealed on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle that Petracca could resort to a “nuclear” option never used before by a teammate if he really wants to force a move. As the AFL reporter explained, such a “grievance process” would require Petracca to prove that the club’s treatment constitutes a breach of contract.
“He will do whatever he wants in the next six weeks to leave the Melbourne Football Club. He is prepared to watch the world burn if it means coming to the club of his choice,” Ralph said of the reportedly disgruntled Demons star. “The nuclear option if all else fails is the AFL grievance process, which is detailed in the CBA. It has never been used before. He would have to prove a breach of contract and the basis for that would be the club’s treatment of him.
“There are some people in the industry who believe he has a chance, that’s an educated opinion. If all else fails, whether that’s public discussions or an interview where everything is revealed, at least he has one last chance to say, ‘You have to let me go.’ He’ll hope it doesn’t come to that, but it’s something he could get through.
“Everyone is talking about the brand… people close to him would say he knows the damage he is doing to his brand right now and yet the fact that he is so keen to be traded shows he has valid reasons to get out.” At the heart of the Petracca saga are reports that he has fallen out with teammates and that the relationship between the star and the club is now “beyond salvage”.
Christian Petracca has reportedly fallen out with teammates
The situation arose after Petracca suffered injuries that meant the end of the season from a match against Collingwood in June and was given time off to travel to Noosa with his fiancée Bella. The 28-year-old was struggling mentally and physically, but the extent of his problems was not communicated to his teammates and his absence from the Club caused friction within the playing group.
The Championship-winning midfielder held open discussions with the Demons and his teammates upon his return to explain the situation, but it is clear that there are still unresolved issues. Sam McClure of The Age and SEN’s Sam Edmund both reported that Petracca’s presence at the club’s end-of-season party caused “tension” and caused “noticeable discomfort” among some Demons players. McClure wrote: “Three club sources and two sources close to Petracca, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the matter, told this masthead that his falling out with the club had reached its peak.”
Demons teammates want “clarity” in Christian Petracca saga
Petracca has reportedly reiterated his desire to leave the Demons following an exit interview with the club on Monday, and Jay Clark of The Herald Sun warned that the saga could be very damaging to the whole club as long as his teammates do not have “clarity” on whether or not the 28-year-old will remain with the team.
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“Every day this uncertainty drags on … the team culture is being dragged through the mud, it’s putting a strain on the bond (between players),” Clark said. “They want clarity, I think Christian Petracca can play for the Melbourne Football Club next year, but some of the relationships need to be repaired.
Veteran reporter Mark Robinson also revealed on Tuesday night’s AFL 360 that his teammates were “frustrated” with Petracca and the ongoing drama. “Melbourne built a culture that led to a championship in 2021. Since then, it’s gone a little off track,” Robinson said. “Can Christian Petracca and Melbourne get it back on track?
“Part of me says, ‘Pull yourself together, Princess, it’s not just about you.’ You’re not the football club. I can see Christian Petracca’s side, but they’ve told him they love him, they’ve told him they care about him. I don’t know if they can get together.”
