CHRISTIAN Petracca started the season as a half-forward whocould play in the midfield. He ended it having reversed that equationand proved himself as a dynamic, game-changing on-baller.
Afterbeing an elite underage basketballer – Petracca was a member of the AISbasketball squad at under-18 level alongside recent NBA draftee DanteExum – he quit that sport and turned solely to footy at the start of2013.
It's turned out to be a win for the AFL.Petracca played last year for the Eastern Ranges and kicked 41 goalsoff a half-forward flank, but showed a lot of promise.
Heturned his attention to becoming a midfielder, improved his fitness andwent for broke. It was obvious pretty quickly he was a natural fit inthat role, starring through the TAC Cup season and the NAB AFL Under-18Championships.
Petracca was named the LarkeMedallist for the best player in the division one championships, was inthe midfield for the All Australian team, and finished equal third inthe Morrish Medal.
Petracca has been the most dominant player in the draft pool,completing a convincing season as a damaging, competitive midfielder. Innine games in the TAC Cup he proved himself to be a level above,averaging 25 disposals and kicking 19 goals.
Butit was in the championships where he really made his mark, againaveraging 25 disposals over five games playing with and against thecountry's most highly rated talent.
Petraccahas got a lot going for him. He loves the physical parts of the game andthrows his weight around, and is also very strong overhead for amidfielder. His standing vertical leap (74cm) ranked fourth at lastmonth's national combine.
When he goesforward, he proves to be an extremely difficult match-up: he's strong onthe lead and tricky at ground level. His quick thinking in tight spacesis elite, and he also has leg speed to get out of trouble or hunt downopponents.
There is not much more Petraccacould have done during 2014 to prove his credentials as a top draftpick. He's a mature body, ready for AFL action next year.
It was his endurance, but he managed to answer that questionpretty comprehensively through the season. And then he topped it with a14.12 beep test at the combine, underlining his improvement in that areato finish in the top 12 of all competitors.
SometimesPetracca can try to kick the leather off the ball – a by-product ofdoing everything at 100 per cent – but he has tempered that and addedmore composure to his game this season.
It is difficult to compare Petracca to any player, because of hisunique set of skills. He can turn games up forward like Dustin Martinand is excellent one-on-one, but when in the midfield, he plays in thesame way as Ollie Wines. His combination of speed, power and agilitymakes him hard to stop.
Set to be one of the first three names read out on Thursday night on the Gold Coast. Would be a deserving No.1 pick.
There isn't a player like Petracca in this draft. He mixes powerwith poise, strength with skill, speed with effort and competitivenesswith class. Perhaps the best thing about Petracca is his motivation – hewants to be very good and took big steps towards that this year. He'llbe aiming to make an impact next season.
