If Christian Petracca decides his heart desires a future away from Melbourne, then the pieces are there to help him escape - they just need to fall in place.
For the second year in a row, Petracca is rumoured to be weighing up his future at the Dees, despite being under contract until the end of 2029.
Petracca is coming off a turbulent couple of years with the Dees, with a devastating injury in 2024 and lack of on-field success potentially paving the way for a fresh start for the 29-year-old.
Although Melbourne captain Max Gawn has maintained Petracca "will be a Melbourne player next year," it's believed Adelaide are circling after a premature straight sets exit in this year's final series.
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However, it could be another rival contender that turns the head of the four-time All-Australian, with the Gold Coast Suns also in the premiership mix, after an inaugural finals appearance in 2025.
The Suns took massive steps this year, but still look a bit thin through the middle, after being shown up by the Brisbane Lions in the guts in last week's semi-final, even though the defending premiers were without Lachie Neale.
Despite having this year's Brownlow medallist Matt Rowell, the Lions dominated the clearances 43-25 to help end the Suns' season. There's reason to think Petracca, one of the competition's best clearance players at his best, could make a real difference in a relatively youthful engine room.
Petracca is also dynamic enough to play half-forward and threaten the goals, and with a Norm Smith medal under his belt, he has a proven track record of standing up in September.
For the ultra-competitive Petracca, a move to the Suns would thrust him back into premiership contention, with Melbourne likely in the middle of a reset under new coach Steven King.
Additionally, with his off-field cooking ventures, there's reason to think Petracca could also be intrigued by the Gold Coast for business reasons. When Petracca was assessing an exit 12 months ago, the idea of growing 'brand Petracca' was said to be one of his key reasons for wanting out, and with Gold Coast being a growing commercial hub, the Suns could present themselves as an ideal fit.
What could the Suns offer?
Ultimately, what makes Petracca to the Suns even remotely possible is the Dees' known interest in Suns' midfielder Sam Flanders.
Last week, Flanders told the club at his exit meeting that he would like to explore a trade, with the Dees one of four Victorian sides he is said to be entertaining. In fact, Flanders is believed to be meeting with Melbourne in the coming days, with new coach Steven King already having a relationship with Flanders, after he served as both assistant and caretaker coach of the club in 2022 and 2023.
With the 24-year-old under contract until the end of 2027, the Suns have maintained that they are not interested in trading him. But, if the possibility of getting a player of Petracca's ilk in exchange presented itself, the Suns would surely have a change of heart.
Nine's Tom Morris first flagged this as a possibility on Sunday night, saying "I think there's a possibility, without locking it in, that Flanders is part of a deal that sends Petracca to the Gold Coast Suns."
"I think there's a possibility, without locking it in, that Flanders is part of a deal that sends Petracca to the Gold Coast Suns." 👀@tommorris32 flags a *potential* trade as Sam Flanders meets with several clubs. pic.twitter.com/h899SIUImV
— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) September 21, 2025
However, it's likely the Suns would need to include more in the deal to meet the Dees' demands. Fortunately, the Suns are currently slated to have Port Adelaide's pick six in the upcoming draft (before compensation picks are determined), which they own thanks to a three-team trade last year that landed the Power Jack Lukosius.
The Suns haven't been afraid in recent years to part with high-end picks in order to bring in talent immediately. Just last year they gave up picks six and 23 for Daniel Rioli.
For the Dees, in return for Petracca they would get a young-yet-proven on-baller who is still likely to reach another level, while also getting a top pick in the upcoming draft to help accelerate a potential rebuild. Despite a disappointing 2025, Melbourne do not currently own their first-round pick in this year's draft, after trading it to Essendon last year so that they could select Xavier Lindsay. As it stands, they won't make a selection until pick 23.
Meanwhile, it's hard to imagine other suitors for Petracca, such as Adelaide or Hawthorn, would have the assets to rival such a return for Petracca.