Essendon great Tim Watson has slapped a warning on any denials that he expects will come from Christian Petracca after he was linked to a possible AFL trade request.
It has been reported Petracca is disillusioned with Melbourne and could consider seeking a move, despite having five years to run on his lucrative contract.
The Norm Smith medallist has watched the Demons’ finals hopes fade since being sidelined because of a season-ending ruptured spleen suffered in June and made worse by a “traumatic” aftermath.
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Melbourne’s handling of the injury, with Petracca returning to the field in obvious pain before later going to hospital, sparked immediate claims his family were frustrated with the club.
The issue fizzled out until resurfacing on Monday night with fresh rumours that flip the script on last year’s trade period, when Melbourne put star midfielder Clayton Oliver on notice with a bombshell week of statements.
But it is now on the player, in this instance Petracca, to explain himself — something Essendon great Tim Watson seriously doubts will happen to any great extent.
“I want to hear from Christian. He’ll talk at some stage, he’s got a radio platform,” former Melbourne captain Garry Lyon said on SEN.
Watson replied: “You’re not going to, though.”
“He’s going to come out and say that he’s not disillusioned and he’s not disenchanted. And then, what, so, we believe that or we don’t believe that?” Watson added.
“I don’t think he’s going to be honest publicly. He’s not going to be as forthright as he may have been behind closed doors about talking about his disillusionment with the Melbourne Football Club.”
Lyon was taken aback.
“If he was sitting in here right now you would give him no wiggle room and ask him that question. So you’re saying he would lie to you?” he asked.
Watson replied: “Yeah, probably.”
“He’d probably just gloss over it and say ‘well you know you get frustrated from time to time, I’m disappointed in the way they’re playing, the way the season’s played out’, that type of thing,” he added.
“You’re not going to get to the heart and the root of it.”
Petracca reportedly has no issues with Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin but other players are also said to be frustrated with the Demons’ situation.
“There would be discontentment at every single AFL club from a section of players, I will promise you and guarantee you that and you can take it to the bank,” Lyon said.
Lyon said Petracca’s lengthy contract is “the most important thing” in the situation and guaranteed “there is not a snowflake’s chance in hell” that he would be traded by Melbourne.
But the new claims have revived fears that Petracca, without the release of daily training and games, and his family are still stewing over the handling of his injury.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s looking back at it going ’I know I put my hand up but I’ve got to be saved from myself’. This is a really difficult area in terms of the medical stuff,” Lyon said.
“These things happen from time to time. There’s no way Melbourne doctors would’ve been trying to put him in any (danger) but I can totally understand if he’s got some level of (frustrations).
“Maybe the family, maybe his family are looking at it. You would too, I would too if my son got put back on and had to have a life-saving surgery later that night.
“Of course you’d be sitting there going ‘I don’t know what’s going on here’.”
Watson noted being out with a long-term injury is “one of the most deflating times” a footballer can have in his career.