MELBOURNE superstar Christian Petracca says he has chosen to stay at the Demons despite weeks of speculation over his future at the club.
But whether his long-term future remains there is yet to be seen.
The disgruntled midfielder, 28, had reportedly been keen to explore a move to another Victorian club this off-season, despite being contracted until the end of 2029.
But on Saturday, he said he was "committed" to playing for the Demons.
Petracca has been sidelined since suffering life-threatening injuries in the King's Birthday match in June and had expressed his frustration with the Demons around their standards, along with their management of his injury.
"Over the last few weeks, there been a lot of speculation regarding my role at the Melbourne Football Club," Petracca said in a statement released by the club on Saturday evening.
"This has occurred as part of the end-of-year review process, in which I voiced my concerns as a leader, wanting better for our club, playing group, and fans.
"During this time, I have been in open communication with the player leadership group and club leaders to ensure we can work together to improve as a club.
"I make no apologies for wanting to better our club and contribute to our success both on and off the field.
"I love my footy - it remains my number one priority and always has been. As for my future at the Melbourne Football Club, I remain committed to playing for the red and the blue."
Melbourne CEO Gary Pert said there weren't any doubts Petracca would confirm his loyalty to the club.
"As we've stated all along, Christian is a much-loved member of the Melbourne Football Club and we value him immensely, not only as a player, but as a person and a leader," Pert said.
"Over the past month, we have been open about the fact that Christian has shared some thoughts on how we can improve and better ourselves as a footy club.
"These conversations have made us a better organisation and we’re grateful that Christian, like all our leaders, are willing to have the tough conversations to drive success.
"We move forward from here, aligned, and steadfast in our commitment to achieving the success we know our AFL program is capable of.
"Most importantly, I know a lot of young Demons proudly wearing the number 5 on their back will be eagerly counting down the days until we see Christian back out on the footy field playing the game he loves."
