‘I make no apologies’: Petracca makes call on future

Christian Petracca has made a call on his future at the Melbourne Demons, making no apologies for the way he has asked for improvements to the club.
Petracca had reportedly been seeking a trade away from the Demons among a myriad of issues, most notably the club’s handling of his season-ending injury that left him in a near-death situation.
While speculation was rampant the 28-year-old wanted out, the likelihood of trade seemed unlikely.
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Christian Petracca has committed his future to the Demons.  Getty
Despite his frustrations, Petracca has now committed to the club and his contract that runs until the end of the 2029 season.
“Over the last few weeks, there’s been a lot of speculation regarding my role at the Melbourne Football club,” he said in a statement.
“This has occurred as part of the end-of-year review process, in which I voiced my concerns as a leader, wanting better for our club, playing group, and fans.
“During this time, I have been in open communication with the player leadership group and club leaders to ensure we can work together to improve as a club.
“I make no apologies for wanting to better our club and contribute to our success both on and off the field.
“I love my footy – it remains my number one priority and always has been. As for my future at the Melbourne Football Club, I remain committed to playing for the red and the blue.”
Melbourne chief executive officer Gary Pert admitted there’s been “open” conversations with Petracca about the future of the club.
“As we’ve stated all along, Christian is a much-loved member of the Melbourne Football club and we value him immensely, not only as a player, but as a person and a leader,” he said.
“Over the past month, we have been open about the fact that Christian has shared some thoughts on how we can improve and better ourselves as a footy club.
“These conversations have made us a better organisation and we’re grateful that Christian, like all our leaders, are willing to have the tough conversations to drive success.
“We move forward from here, aligned, and steadfast in our commitment to achieving the success we know our AFL program is capable of.
“Most importantly, I know a lot of young Demons proudly wearing the number five on their back will be eagerly counting down the days until we see Christian back out on the footy field playing the game he loves.”