Petracca - do we still want him

[66Iwasthere]

Out of contract at end of 2020. What chance we have Mc Cartin and Petracca on our list next year?

[True Blue Sainter]

Well I think there's minimal chance of Paddy being on the list.

I haven't checked who else is available in terms of FA but would rather look at a top class mid

[Trev from the Bush]

Nup

[Secret Kiel]

In a heart beat. But his heart bleeds red and blue in the belief Dees are a significant chance of a flag.

[The_Dud]

The Dees need a key forward right? I’m sure we can do a straight swap Paddy for Petracca!

[skeptic]

The Dees need a key forward right? I’m sure we can do a straight swap Paddy for Petracca!

Could you imagine

[Nick_BlueNRG]

Trout hurt us for many years with that decision

[Linton Lodger]

No thanks, fat and overrated.

[saintbob]

I’m disappointed that Paddy never got to reach his full potential due to injury, but if I was a Dees supporter I’d be even more disappointed at Petracca’s output.

So NO, I wouldn’t want Petracca

[saynta]

In a word. NO.

[Joffa Burns]

What do you mean still?

If we actually wanted him he'd have gone at #1 instead of Paddy.

[Saintmatt]

Trout hurt us for many years with that decision

I don't totally absolve Bains from that outcome BTW.

In hindsight - it was a truly horrible year to have pick 1. I think Petracca is just as bad at pick 2 - albeit he's played more games ... as much talent but less injuries and played in a better side for the most part. He may one day kick 5 and win a Norm Smiths - he's that kind of player - but he goes missing far too easily for far too long to be a good player.

So - pick 3 was Brayshaw (he was one more head-knock away from becoming Paddy); 4 was Jarrod Pickett (still no good); 5 - Do Goey - After his drink driving issue - he was one more stuff-up away from being punted from the Pies. Then we have all manner of numpties .. By far and away the best first rounder in 2014 is Isaac Heeney (which no one other Sydney were getting)

More damning is the selections of Goddard and McKenzie at 21 and 22. Yes, stuffing up pick 1 was poor but we could've picked any of the others before Heeney at 18 and still been in the same boat. But we had two shots at nailing one or more 100 game players late in the 1st round and slaughtered both picks. FFS - that's the crime right there.

No to Petracca for me. We need genuine class mids; not lazy half forwards who need everything going right for them to flourish.

[minneapolis]

Nup

I agree with Trev and will quote him. I see your Nup and raise you one.

Nup Nup to the Nuff Nuff.

[Spinner]

Easily makes our 22 so why not.

[Secret Kiel]

Trout hurt us for many years with that decision

I don't totally absolve Bains from that outcome BTW.

In hindsight - it was a truly horrible year to have pick 1. I think Petracca is just as bad at pick 2 - albeit he's played more games ... as much talent but less injuries and played in a better side for the most part. He may one day kick 5 and win a Norm Smiths - he's that kind of player - but he goes missing far too easily for far too long to be a good player.

So - pick 3 was Brayshaw (he was one more head-knock away from becoming Paddy); 4 was Jarrod Pickett (still no good); 5 - Do Goey - After his drink driving issue - he was one more stuff-up away from being punted from the Pies. Then we have all manner of numpties .. By far and away the best first rounder in 2014 is Isaac Heeney (which no one other Sydney were getting)

More damning is the selections of Goddard and McKenzie at 21 and 22. Yes, stuffing up pick 1 was poor but we could've picked any of the others before Heeney at 18 and still been in the same boat. But we had two shots at nailing one or more 100 game players late in the 1st round and slaughtered both picks. FFS - that's the crime right there.

No to Petracca for me. We need genuine class mids; not lazy half forwards who need everything going right for them to flourish.

Dusty used to go missing far more. Tiges nearly traded him. Melbourne will be back in the top 4 this year and quite possibly premiers. Melbourne did extremely well in the 2014 draft, so much so it's going to go part way to delivering them a flag.

[Saintmatt]

Trout hurt us for many years with that decision

I don't totally absolve Bains from that outcome BTW.

In hindsight - it was a truly horrible year to have pick 1. I think Petracca is just as bad at pick 2 - albeit he's played more games ... as much talent but less injuries and played in a better side for the most part. He may one day kick 5 and win a Norm Smiths - he's that kind of player - but he goes missing far too easily for far too long to be a good player.

So - pick 3 was Brayshaw (he was one more head-knock away from becoming Paddy); 4 was Jarrod Pickett (still no good); 5 - Do Goey - After his drink driving issue - he was one more stuff-up away from being punted from the Pies. Then we have all manner of numpties .. By far and away the best first rounder in 2014 is Isaac Heeney (which no one other Sydney were getting)

More damning is the selections of Goddard and McKenzie at 21 and 22. Yes, stuffing up pick 1 was poor but we could've picked any of the others before Heeney at 18 and still been in the same boat. But we had two shots at nailing one or more 100 game players late in the 1st round and slaughtered both picks. FFS - that's the crime right there.

No to Petracca for me. We need genuine class mids; not lazy half forwards who need everything going right for them to flourish.

Dusty used to go missing far more. Tiges nearly traded him. Melbourne will be back in the top 4 this year and quite possibly premiers. Melbourne did extremely well in the 2014 draft, so much so it's going to go part way to delivering them a flag.

Utter bullsh1t - don't re-write history. Dusty has been far more consistent over his career - he's never played less than 20 games a season since his first year. And the Tigers have never tried or wanted to trade him - the only time he got close is when Ralph HairHat paraded him around GWS - that was about Ralph and money - not Dusty's performance.

The point of my piece above was that it was a horrible year to have pick one and really, anyone who got a good player in the 1st round (apart from Sydney) pretty much just fluked it. Would Melbourne have done "extremely well in the 2014 draft" if Petracca's knee injury had have been career ending and or Brayshaw copped one more head knock that ended his career? No. No they wouldn't have. Yes - they also got Neale-Bullen and McDonald and Stretch but they are the ultimate downhill skiers.

[Secret Kiel]

Trout hurt us for many years with that decision

I don't totally absolve Bains from that outcome BTW.

In hindsight - it was a truly horrible year to have pick 1. I think Petracca is just as bad at pick 2 - albeit he's played more games ... as much talent but less injuries and played in a better side for the most part. He may one day kick 5 and win a Norm Smiths - he's that kind of player - but he goes missing far too easily for far too long to be a good player.

So - pick 3 was Brayshaw (he was one more head-knock away from becoming Paddy); 4 was Jarrod Pickett (still no good); 5 - Do Goey - After his drink driving issue - he was one more stuff-up away from being punted from the Pies. Then we have all manner of numpties .. By far and away the best first rounder in 2014 is Isaac Heeney (which no one other Sydney were getting)

More damning is the selections of Goddard and McKenzie at 21 and 22. Yes, stuffing up pick 1 was poor but we could've picked any of the others before Heeney at 18 and still been in the same boat. But we had two shots at nailing one or more 100 game players late in the 1st round and slaughtered both picks. FFS - that's the crime right there.

No to Petracca for me. We need genuine class mids; not lazy half forwards who need everything going right for them to flourish.

Dusty used to go missing far more. Tiges nearly traded him. Melbourne will be back in the top 4 this year and quite possibly premiers. Melbourne did extremely well in the 2014 draft, so much so it's going to go part way to delivering them a flag.

Utter bullsh1t - don't re-write history. Dusty has been far more consistent over his career - he's never played less than 20 games a season since his first year. And the Tigers have never tried or wanted to trade him - the only time he got close is when Ralph HairHat paraded him around GWS - that was about Ralph and money - not Dusty's performance.

The point of my piece above was that it was a horrible year to have pick one and really, anyone who got a good player in the 1st round (apart from Sydney) pretty much just fluked it. Would Melbourne have done "extremely well in the 2014 draft" if Petracca's knee injury had have been career ending and or Brayshaw copped one more head knock that ended his career? No. No they wouldn't have. Yes - they also got Neale-Bullen and McDonald and Stretch but they are the ultimate downhill skiers.

Dusty's career in the early years was in the balance on more than one occasion. The point I make is Petracca still has time to go up a level and even at his current level most astute observers of the game would have him at thier club in a heart beat.

[Saintmatt]

Trout hurt us for many years with that decision

I don't totally absolve Bains from that outcome BTW.

In hindsight - it was a truly horrible year to have pick 1. I think Petracca is just as bad at pick 2 - albeit he's played more games ... as much talent but less injuries and played in a better side for the most part. He may one day kick 5 and win a Norm Smiths - he's that kind of player - but he goes missing far too easily for far too long to be a good player.

So - pick 3 was Brayshaw (he was one more head-knock away from becoming Paddy); 4 was Jarrod Pickett (still no good); 5 - Do Goey - After his drink driving issue - he was one more stuff-up away from being punted from the Pies. Then we have all manner of numpties .. By far and away the best first rounder in 2014 is Isaac Heeney (which no one other Sydney were getting)

More damning is the selections of Goddard and McKenzie at 21 and 22. Yes, stuffing up pick 1 was poor but we could've picked any of the others before Heeney at 18 and still been in the same boat. But we had two shots at nailing one or more 100 game players late in the 1st round and slaughtered both picks. FFS - that's the crime right there.

No to Petracca for me. We need genuine class mids; not lazy half forwards who need everything going right for them to flourish.

Dusty used to go missing far more. Tiges nearly traded him. Melbourne will be back in the top 4 this year and quite possibly premiers. Melbourne did extremely well in the 2014 draft, so much so it's going to go part way to delivering them a flag.

Utter bullsh1t - don't re-write history. Dusty has been far more consistent over his career - he's never played less than 20 games a season since his first year. And the Tigers have never tried or wanted to trade him - the only time he got close is when Ralph HairHat paraded him around GWS - that was about Ralph and money - not Dusty's performance.

The point of my piece above was that it was a horrible year to have pick one and really, anyone who got a good player in the 1st round (apart from Sydney) pretty much just fluked it. Would Melbourne have done "extremely well in the 2014 draft" if Petracca's knee injury had have been career ending and or Brayshaw copped one more head knock that ended his career? No. No they wouldn't have. Yes - they also got Neale-Bullen and McDonald and Stretch but they are the ultimate downhill skiers.

Dusty's career in the early years was in the balance on more than one occasion. The point I make is Petracca still has time to go up a level and even at his current level most astute observers of the game would have him at thier club in a heart beat.

I have a lot of Richmond mates (sadly) and not one of them has ever expressed frustration with Dusty to that extent that we have with the likes of Billings, Paddy etc. He has never been in the balance at Richmond - I don't know where you're getting that from - and his game numbers alone show that. He's literally missed 3 possible games since drafted. 3!! That does not happen to players who are in the balance (unless of course you're say, Newnes at St Kilda ).

I never said that Petracca doesn't have time or the ability to go up a level but for a guy with all the physical attributes required at his fingertips (pace aside) - he's showed a pretty significant unwillingness to step up and change the course of a game in his career. My point was that we need more elite midfielders; not guys like Petracca who are basically forwards who may be able to spend a little bit of time in the mid (Petracca barely can - he has no tank whatsoever).

[Sanctorum]

Time will tell if Petracca achieves elite status, my instincts are that he probably will not, nor have I seen any evidence that Melbourne are likely to improve in 2020.

The coming season will be a severe test for Simon Goodwin's future as the Demons coach because I got the impression that the players either failed to back him, or like Alan Richardson, he lacked the ability to lift the team to achieve success.

As for wanting Petracca to become a Saint - nope, Steele and Clark are much better prospects, and if Ratten develops Josh Battle to play a "swingman" midfield role that gives the team even more options.

[Saintmatt]

Time will tell if Petracca achieves elite status, my instincts are that he probably will not, nor have I seen any evidence that Melbourne are likely to improve in 2020.

The coming season will be a severe test for Simon Goodwin's future as the Demons coach because I got the impression that the players either failed to back him, or like Alan Richardson, he lacked the ability to lift the team to achieve success.

As for wanting Petracca to become a Saint - nope, Steele and Clark are much better prospects, and if Ratten develops Josh Battle to play a "swingman" midfield role that gives the team even more options.

10000% on Clarke and Battle. Ideally, I'd love Steele to be released to see if he can match his Lenny-like tackling prowess with some Lenny-like ball magnetism. No idea re: Melbourne. And none of the Dees supporters I know do either. i think it's acknowledged that putting 15 players in for surgery all at the same time was season-crucifying mistake but, they have so much talent on that list that they really should be aiming for top 4.

[saynta]

Time will tell if Petracca achieves elite status, my instincts are that he probably will not, nor have I seen any evidence that Melbourne are likely to improve in 2020.

The coming season will be a severe test for Simon Goodwin's future as the Demons coach because I got the impression that the players either failed to back him, or like Alan Richardson, he lacked the ability to lift the team to achieve success.

As for wanting Petracca to become a Saint - nope, Steele and Clark are much better prospects, and if Ratten develops Josh Battle to play a "swingman" midfield role that gives the team even more options.

I'm told that the saints coaches last year rated the players but not the coaches. Very strange that Richo went there after that.

[Secret Kiel]

Trout hurt us for many years with that decision

I don't totally absolve Bains from that outcome BTW.

In hindsight - it was a truly horrible year to have pick 1. I think Petracca is just as bad at pick 2 - albeit he's played more games ... as much talent but less injuries and played in a better side for the most part. He may one day kick 5 and win a Norm Smiths - he's that kind of player - but he goes missing far too easily for far too long to be a good player.

So - pick 3 was Brayshaw (he was one more head-knock away from becoming Paddy); 4 was Jarrod Pickett (still no good); 5 - Do Goey - After his drink driving issue - he was one more stuff-up away from being punted from the Pies. Then we have all manner of numpties .. By far and away the best first rounder in 2014 is Isaac Heeney (which no one other Sydney were getting)

More damning is the selections of Goddard and McKenzie at 21 and 22. Yes, stuffing up pick 1 was poor but we could've picked any of the others before Heeney at 18 and still been in the same boat. But we had two shots at nailing one or more 100 game players late in the 1st round and slaughtered both picks. FFS - that's the crime right there.

No to Petracca for me. We need genuine class mids; not lazy half forwards who need everything going right for them to flourish.

Dusty used to go missing far more. Tiges nearly traded him. Melbourne will be back in the top 4 this year and quite possibly premiers. Melbourne did extremely well in the 2014 draft, so much so it's going to go part way to delivering them a flag.

Utter bullsh1t - don't re-write history. Dusty has been far more consistent over his career - he's never played less than 20 games a season since his first year. And the Tigers have never tried or wanted to trade him - the only time he got close is when Ralph HairHat paraded him around GWS - that was about Ralph and money - not Dusty's performance.

The point of my piece above was that it was a horrible year to have pick one and really, anyone who got a good player in the 1st round (apart from Sydney) pretty much just fluked it. Would Melbourne have done "extremely well in the 2014 draft" if Petracca's knee injury had have been career ending and or Brayshaw copped one more head knock that ended his career? No. No they wouldn't have. Yes - they also got Neale-Bullen and McDonald and Stretch but they are the ultimate downhill skiers.

Dusty's career in the early years was in the balance on more than one occasion. The point I make is Petracca still has time to go up a level and even at his current level most astute observers of the game would have him at thier club in a heart beat.

I have a lot of Richmond mates (sadly) and not one of them has ever expressed frustration with Dusty to that extent that we have with the likes of Billings, Paddy etc. He has never been in the balance at Richmond - I don't know where you're getting that from - and his game numbers alone show that. He's literally missed 3 possible games since drafted. 3!! That does not happen to players who are in the balance (unless of course you're say, Newnes at St Kilda ).

I never said that Petracca doesn't have time or the ability to go up a level but for a guy with all the physical attributes required at his fingertips (pace aside) - he's showed a pretty significant unwillingness to step up and change the course of a game in his career. My point was that we need more elite midfielders; not guys like Petracca who are basically forwards who may be able to spend a little bit of time in the mid (Petracca barely can - he has no tank whatsoever).

Well there you go , it's impossible to counter the "I have mates" POV.

[Saintmatt]

Trout hurt us for many years with that decision

I don't totally absolve Bains from that outcome BTW.

In hindsight - it was a truly horrible year to have pick 1. I think Petracca is just as bad at pick 2 - albeit he's played more games ... as much talent but less injuries and played in a better side for the most part. He may one day kick 5 and win a Norm Smiths - he's that kind of player - but he goes missing far too easily for far too long to be a good player.

So - pick 3 was Brayshaw (he was one more head-knock away from becoming Paddy); 4 was Jarrod Pickett (still no good); 5 - Do Goey - After his drink driving issue - he was one more stuff-up away from being punted from the Pies. Then we have all manner of numpties .. By far and away the best first rounder in 2014 is Isaac Heeney (which no one other Sydney were getting)

More damning is the selections of Goddard and McKenzie at 21 and 22. Yes, stuffing up pick 1 was poor but we could've picked any of the others before Heeney at 18 and still been in the same boat. But we had two shots at nailing one or more 100 game players late in the 1st round and slaughtered both picks. FFS - that's the crime right there.

No to Petracca for me. We need genuine class mids; not lazy half forwards who need everything going right for them to flourish.

Dusty used to go missing far more. Tiges nearly traded him. Melbourne will be back in the top 4 this year and quite possibly premiers. Melbourne did extremely well in the 2014 draft, so much so it's going to go part way to delivering them a flag.

Utter bullsh1t - don't re-write history. Dusty has been far more consistent over his career - he's never played less than 20 games a season since his first year. And the Tigers have never tried or wanted to trade him - the only time he got close is when Ralph HairHat paraded him around GWS - that was about Ralph and money - not Dusty's performance.

The point of my piece above was that it was a horrible year to have pick one and really, anyone who got a good player in the 1st round (apart from Sydney) pretty much just fluked it. Would Melbourne have done "extremely well in the 2014 draft" if Petracca's knee injury had have been career ending and or Brayshaw copped one more head knock that ended his career? No. No they wouldn't have. Yes - they also got Neale-Bullen and McDonald and Stretch but they are the ultimate downhill skiers.

Dusty's career in the early years was in the balance on more than one occasion. The point I make is Petracca still has time to go up a level and even at his current level most astute observers of the game would have him at thier club in a heart beat.

I have a lot of Richmond mates (sadly) and not one of them has ever expressed frustration with Dusty to that extent that we have with the likes of Billings, Paddy etc. He has never been in the balance at Richmond - I don't know where you're getting that from - and his game numbers alone show that. He's literally missed 3 possible games since drafted. 3!! That does not happen to players who are in the balance (unless of course you're say, Newnes at St Kilda ).

I never said that Petracca doesn't have time or the ability to go up a level but for a guy with all the physical attributes required at his fingertips (pace aside) - he's showed a pretty significant unwillingness to step up and change the course of a game in his career. My point was that we need more elite midfielders; not guys like Petracca who are basically forwards who may be able to spend a little bit of time in the mid (Petracca barely can - he has no tank whatsoever).

Well there you go , it's impossible to counter the "I have mates" POV.

I'm happy to leave the mates part out of it then if that makes you happy. Just tell me when Dusty was in the balance. Any particular year? Ranges of games? I'm genuinely intrigued because as a footy head who reads and watches a lot of the other teams - I don't recall this. My recollection of Dusty's career is that he's been pretty much lauded since he stepped out (not quite at the level of Chris Judd - but not far behind). Rance and Cotchin however - if you want to use a Richmond comparison - were definitely not exactly fan favourites from day 1 and have had lots of bumps along the way.

[Secret Kiel]

Are we talking just fan and mate favourites? Or favourites with the club admin and coaches?

[skeptic]

I think the point about Dusty being ‘in the balance’ is either outright made up or fed from the idea that St.Kilda we’re trying to trade him in around 2013 or something.

Whenever Fisher met up with him in Bali or whatever. The rumour was Richmond we’re fed up with his antics.
The reality was we were more interested in getting him then Richmond were in trading him or Dusty in coming here.

I don’t think his talent has ever been questioned