BEN MCCLELLAN: Zach Merrett and others watching Christian Petracca’s AFL power play closely

Christian Petracca joins a long list of players who, unhappy with their lot in life, have thrown their toys out of the cot and ultimately got what they wanted.

Petracca’s announcement today that he wants to leave Melbourne to join the Gold Coast Suns is yet another example of the absolute power star players hold over the league.

Instead of toughing it out under a new coach, he wants to shine in the glory of the resurgent Suns under master coach Damien Hardwick.

And who could blame him, the Gold Coast has sun and surf while Melbourne has … Luna Park.

Bombers captain Zach Merrett will be watching Petracca’s moves closely, as while he may not be in a position to get out of Essendon this summer, he can see that just because you don’t succeed at first doesn’t mean you should give up.

Petracca wanted out last year and was told he could never leave, but soon he will be in his red and yellow togs having a dip at Surfers Paradise — where he may be mistaken for a lifeguard — as his former teammates bust out the umbrellas on their way to work in the dreary southern capital.

As many coaches and players have said in recent weeks, the long-term contracts players sign apparently mean nothing, raising the question why do we have them at all?

When will it be time for Australian sport to finally modernise and adopt the somewhat cut-throat practices of American franchises, who trade players at will to suit their needs?

The mega trade of Luka Dončić to the LA Lakers earlier this year is something that could never happen in the AFL.

AFL stars are only traded when they want to be — except when they don’t like playing at their current club anymore, of course.

Then, the club is in the unenviable position of having to do everything it can to make that trade possible after saying at first the player will never be traded.

It’s a soap opera we have seen played out so many times we know the script by heart.

Melbourne may get a range of high draft picks for Petracca, but that will do little for them in the next few seasons. Any shot at a premiership is now much further away than hoped.

Demons coach Stephen King, who has worked in the AFL for a long time and just left one of the league’s most successful clubs, Geelong, appears to have the world view that if players don’t want to play for you, you’re probably best to move them on.

He told Clayton Oliver as much this week, and Steven May had been told that earlier — showing that Melbourne are looking to clean house.

He has essentially decided that it’s better to look for the next generation of stars or attract players who actually want to play for you, rather than convincing several overpriced prima donnas acting like teenagers to come out of their darkened room and play.

Bailey Smith was put on ice at the Bulldogs after suffering a knee injury before he was traded to the Cats, with the Bulldogs getting very little in return other than Matt Kennedy via the Blues, and Geelong got another gun midfielder who finished third in the Brownlow count this season.

Charlie Curnow at the Blues is more than likely going to leave — whether it’s this summer or next — with the only question being what is the best deal Carlton can get for their distressed asset.

The first thing any club does when a wantaway star insinuates — or directly states — that he wants out is to play hardball, insisting under no circumstances will the player be released.

This position then softens, followed by a press release — like the one issued for Petracca this week — talking about what’s best for the player and the club.

That’s code for: it’s too hard to keep him, so we’re just going to hope we get some good draft picks and find our next superstar, even though we’ve invested time, effort, and money into the one we’re about to trade away.

Also, what message does this send to young fans about commitment and staying the course? Yes, everyone deserves to be happy, and being an AFL athlete isn’t like any other job — but it is a job.

If you commit to a high level of remuneration, there’s an expectation you’ll continue to give your best over that contracted period.

But in the AFL, if things turn sour and a once-premiership-winning team like the Demons finds itself at an all-time low, it seems it’s time for the highest-paid players to look for the life rafts.

Clearly, the issue with Petracca stems back to his King’s Birthday injury last year, where he punctured a lung and broke several ribs.

He, and more importantly his family, were reportedly furious with how the club handled the situation and his welfare.

But with a new coach and a new direction, you’d think Petracca, who has four years left on his $1.2 million a year contract, would at least give King the off-season and possibly the start of the 2026 season to see how the new-look Demons are playing.

While their list isn’t as strong, with the best ruckman in the game Max Gawn still leading the way, the team isn’t relegated to being bottom-of-the-table feeders forever.

Petracca will not be the main attraction at the Gold Coast — with the Suns already boasting two midfield weapons in Brownlow Medal winner Matt Rowell and ball magnet skipper Noah Anderson — when he starts his new life in the Sunshine State.

While it may be tough going to start with, things will be a lot sunnier for him than they will be for the club that made him a star — as ultimately they are the ones who pay the price for his unhappiness.