'I'm staggered': Caroline Wilson declares Petracca communication breakdown 'extraordinary'
Caroline Wilson says she is "staggered" at Melbourne's communication breakdown with Christian Petracca.
It follows reports that Petracca addressed the playing group on Monday, clarifying his extended break in Noosa, his terrifying season-ending injuries suffered in round 13, as well as growing trade speculation.
There have been suggestions that Petracca had become disgruntled and disillusioned with the club.
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And despite Dees skipper Max Gawn moving to shut down speculation that tension still exists between Petracca and his teammates, Wilson still has her concerns.
"I find the communication breakdown at the Melbourne football club extraordinary," Wilson said on Nine's Footy Classified on Monday night.
"What is baffling to me is that Christian Petracca addressed his teammates this morning, for the first time as a group, and talked about the trauma he suffered.
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"I'm staggered that players didn't know that Christian Petracca had gone up to Noosa for a month, because he was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, if that's what it was, or some form of stress and trauma after what had happened to him.
"If he's got all these cultural issues with the club, when he addressed the players ... I wish he'd said that. I'm told that he specifically only spoke about what he went through (with his injuries)."
Petracca was injured in round 13, 2024 and hasn't played since. AFL Photos via Getty Images
Wilson also questioned why Gawn has been withholding information surrounding Petracca's health from his teammates.
"How does Max Gawn ... keep his teammates in the loop about how Christian is going? About why he's gone to Noosa?" she said.
"Petracca is their greatest player, their Norm Smith Medallist. Do you find it a bit odd? It is unusual for a footy club to not be communicating to that degree?
"This is a playing group that has won a flag together. How does the playing group not know about this situation?"
And it's not just on Gawn to be keeping the group informed, according to Matthew Lloyd.
"It's on everyone. It's on the head of football, Alan Richardson, it's on Gary Pert, the CEO," Lloyd said.
The Demons will miss the finals for the first time in four years.
