Future teammates: The moment Christian Petracca knew he was a Sun

The 2021 Melbourne premiership player and Norm Smith Medallist was training alongside prospective No. 1 draft pick Zeke Uwland in Maroochydore when the Suns and Demons shook hands on the deal to send him to the Glitter Strip.

“We were just training together and I think toward the end he got traded which was pretty cool,” Uwland told this masthead.

“I wasn’t too aware of it but when he got the news he just popped up at the end of training and said, ‘I’ve just been traded’. I just gave him a hi-five and a few fist pumps.

“It was a bit of an elephant in the room – I was hoping (the trade) would get done but you don’t want to invade on him too much, so I just let it be.

“The whole time he was just so professional. Training was his sole focus.”

Uwland is almost certain to become Petracca’s teammate next month given his ties to the Suns Academy.

Gold Coast gave up three first round picks to secure Petracca in the deal with Melbourne but received a number of second rounders back which will be used to match a likely early bid on Uwland in next month’s draft.

“Hopefully soon we’re teammates,” Uwland said.

“He’s a really good fella. He gave lots of insights, offered his wealth of knowledge.

“He will fit into the culture of the Suns really well. He has so much to offer and he’s a really good role model for the young people coming through like myself.”

Uwland and Petracca connected through specialist coach Ben Stanley, who runs a private Aussie rules coaching business: Enhanced Football.

Stanley connected Uwland and Petracca while the latter was holidaying in Queensland during the trade period and the pair trained together on the Monday and Wednesday with Stanley, before regrouping at Burleigh on the Saturday for a solo session.

“We did primarily kicking but a bit of touch and clean hands as well,” Uwland said.

“Trac is really focused on getting his kicking right. He has a few points that he’s focused on working on and I have mine so we just honed in on those.”

Uwland said it was not uncommon for players to seek specialist coaching outside of club land.

“I think it’s the same philosophy as to why you would see a specialised doctor,” he said.

“You’ve got your GP which is good for just general practice and your coaches are good for game day preparation and things like that, but then you have your niche specialists if you like and Ben Stanley is the equivalent of having an orthopaedic surgeon.

“He’s been really beneficial for me and for Trac – hopefully I can say that on his behalf.”

Speaking for the first time as a Sun last Friday, Petracca said his move to the Gold Coast was purely a football decision and declared his best form was still ahead of him after 11 years at Melbourne.

He first approached Stanley on social media a few years ago to work with him and the pair have collaborated ever since, mostly in the off-season when Petracca travels to the Sunshine Coast for a training holiday.

If there has been any caveat to Petracca’s game across his career it has been his field kicking and disposal efficiency.

Stanley said he had worked closely with Petracca to improve his disposal efficiency and was happy with the progress he had made.

“It’s obviously something that no one will ever perfect but he’s trying to get better at it,” Stanley said.

“We’ve changed some little things in his technique and things are going really well now, it’s looking good.

“His kicking percentage really improved before his injury (in June 2024), which is when I was working with him as well.

More Coverage

‘F***, footy’s hard’: What I learnt as a top draftee retired by 24

Andy Bellairs

“Who knows how much that injury set him back but people forget how serious it was, so for him to play a full year this year was amazing.

“He’s always looking for ways to improve his kicking and pretty much all his fundamentals.

“He’s one of those guys that is obsessed and I think you have to be obsessed to be that good.”