‘The whole MCG was spinning’: The story behind Demon’s scary on-field episode

Harry Petty remembers the MCG spinning around him, even before the ball came back to him.

Unsure whether he could stop the game, Melbourne’s 197-centimetre swingman – stationed in his defensive goal square – decided to try to hit a target, but succeeded only in coughing the ball up to the Brisbane Lions’ Will Ashcroft.

Commentators referred to Petty’s kick as a “blooper”, only to quickly realise something wasn’t right.

The dazed Demon slowly dropped to his haunches as concerned teammates and support staff ran to his side.

A battery of tests after the incident in April cleared Petty of concussion, and doctors instead diagnosed him with a vestibular migraine, a neurological condition that causes episodes of severe dizziness or vertigo.

“It was very strange because I knew everything that was going on, but the whole MCG was spinning,” Petty told this masthead ahead of Melbourne’s first final in three years, on Saturday night against Carlton.

“Once I got to the bench and was able to settle down, I was like, ‘OK, that was something weird’. I found out my brother and sister get migraines really badly. But they don’t get vestibular ones, and never had spinning heads or anything like that.”

Petty started the year in defence after spending time forward at the end of former coach Simon Goodwin’s tenure.

But Goodwin’s successor, Steven King – who has electrified Melbourne’s ball movement and transformed what had become a staid environment – sent Petty forward in round 13, and has reaped the rewards.

Only All-Australians Charlie Curnow and Logan Morris have had a greater scoreboard impact since then, including goals and score assists, than the unheralded Demon.

Petty also matched Melbourne’s single-game contested marks record with eight last weekend against the Western Bulldogs, joining greats David Neitz and Max Gawn, as part of a 17-disposal, 11-mark, three-goal performance.

The 26-year-old has kicked 21 goals in his past eight matches in a forward line now missing both Brody Mihocek (neck) and Jacob van Rooyen (suspension).

“It just means I’m in some pretty good form, and I’m excited to see where that can take me,” Petty said.

“I’ve liked being a forward this year. We’ve changed our ball movement, and it’s coming in a bit freer … but I still think I can play in the backline if I need to. That’s what I like about being able to play both ends – there are two spots available for you.”

Adelaide tried to lure Petty back to South Australia on a lucrative deal after the 2023 season while he was still contracted, but Demons list boss Tim Lamb refused to trade him.

As a result of that mini-saga, Melbourne grant Petty allowances where possible to see his family more often.

“I was always happy at Melbourne,” he said.

“I wanted to get back closer to family, but obviously, I was still contracted, so I stayed, and then, we sorted a few things out with my family situation … the club’s always been good to me like that.”

The Demons have not won a final since their drought-busting 2021 grand final triumph, and their last September appearance two years later ended in a heartbreaking loss to the Blues, where Blake Acres’ last-minute goal punished Melbourne’s woeful inefficiency on the night.

The round 24 loss to the Bulldogs tumbled Melbourne into seventh and the wildcard round, but Petty remains thrilled with how the season has gone so far under King.

“The club needed a breath of fresh air, and Kingy’s brought that,” he said.

“It’s been a hell of a year. We’ve won 15 games, whereas lots of people thought we were going to win five or six, so we’re very proud of what we’ve done. But obviously, there are still a few more games that we’d like to win, and hopefully, we can go deep into September.”

Petty is not looking beyond Carlton, given a loss would spell an end to the Demons’ campaign, but a potential finals date with Fremantle could be box-office viewing between him and Patrick Voss.

Voss copped a fine after the clubs’ round-two meeting for taunting Petty, including rubbing his head and performing a crying gesture that referenced the Melbourne player’s previous incident with the Lions’ Dayne Zorko.

Petty offered an amusing retort after slotting a difficult set-shot goal in the clubs’ return bout in the Demons round 22 win, rubbing his own head in a reaction everyone knew the context to.

But he insisted he had nothing planned if Melbourne and Fremantle met for a third time this season.

“I love the way ‘Vossy’ goes about it. He’s a competitor, and I’m a competitor,” Petty said. “We’ve got to get through this week with the Blues, and then we’ll see what happens.”

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