“Frustrated” Melbourne great Nathan Jones believes the club should open itself up to an external review in the wake of AFL superstar Christian Petracca’s highly publicised feud with the Demons.
Petracca, who is contracted until the end of 2029, eased tensions with the club on the weekend when he allowed his name to be on a statement saying he “remains committed” to Melbourne.
The 28-year-old would have seriously considered opting out this off-season had there been a viable option to be traded from Melbourne to a powerhouse Victorian club.
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Petracca’s preferred alternative clubs, Collingwood and Carlton, simply did not have anywhere near enough assets to secure a player of his calibre in a trade.
Jones, who retired in 2021 after 302 games, many during a dismal on-field period for the club, believed it was time for Melbourne’s board to act.
“I’ve felt frustrated, particularly for the senior players over the last probably 12-to-18 months, just from a PR and narrative point of view,” the former Demons captain told SEN on Tuesday.
“It’s been frustrating, and in some ways, let those senior boys down to a certain degree.
“That (an external review) would be worthwhile, if there’s nothing to hide, I think it would beneficial, particularly from a public perspective, there’s the advantages in doing that.
“It’s nice to see ‘Trac’ (Petracca) come out and commit, and hopefully even off the back of this … instigate some change and Melbourne can kind of redirect and start flying straight again and hopefully be back in contention next season.”
The saga was another grim chapter to a rocky 12 months for the Demons, who missed finals for the first time since 2020.
It has been a concerning decline for Melbourne since their drought-breaking 2021 premiership, bombing out of the 2022 and 2023 finals in straight sets.
Petracca’s disgruntlement was just another issue for Demons hierarchy to deal with, less than 12 months after weighing up whether to let go fellow star midfielder Clayton Oliver due to concerns over off-field issues.
Melbourne forward Joel Smith has been provisionally suspended since last October, when he was notified of a positive cocaine test after the Demons’ win over Hawthorn in August.
Petracca has struggled with his mental health since suffering the traumatic injury when he copped an errant knee in Melbourne’s clash with Collingwood on King’s Birthday.
In addition to the lacerated spleen he suffered four broken ribs and a punctured lung, and spent nearly a week in ICU after undergoing emergency surgery.
The midfielder had remained silent since the trade news broke, but has finally spoken — albeit via a club statement.
“Over the last few weeks, there’s been a lot of speculation regarding my role at the Melbourne Football Club,” said Petracca.
“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.
“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 blue.”