It’s been an extraordinary few days for Christian Petracca. But, as they in advertising circles say… wait, there’s more.

On top of the glowing editorial commentary on Petracca’s brilliant debut for the SUNS against Geelong at People First Stadium last Friday night the statisticians have had their say. And it’s been equally effusive.

If Petracca does poll against Geelong, it will be the fifth time he has polled in the Brownlow Medal in the first game of the year, having also done so in 2018 (1 vote), 2022 and 2023 (3 votes) and 2025 (1 vote).

According to the AFL player ratings, Petracca’s performance against Geelong was the best of his career.

They credited him with a rating of 36.9, which bettered his 32.0 for Melbourne against the Western Bulldogs at the MCG in Round 1 of 2023 – his only game above 30.0.

Petracca’s rating against Geelong was also the equal second-highest rated game in SUNS history, behind only Noah Anderson’s 37.1 against Essendon in the last game of the 2025 home-and-away season.

It was rated the equal of Gary Ablett Jnr’s 36.9 against North Melbourne in 2017.

On the all-time rating, dating back to 2012, Ablett also fills positions 4-5-6-7-8-9-11 for SUNS games, with Tom Lynch’s 31.2 in 2018 at #10 and Matt Rowell’s 30.8 against the Bulldogs in 2023 at #12. 

But wait, there’s more.

Petracca’s 33 possessions against the 2025 beaten grand finalists is the most by any player on debut for the SUNS, and only the fourth of 30-plus.

He tops Matt Rosa’s 32 against his former club Essendon in Round 1 2016, and the 30-plus double in the SUNS very first game against Carlton in Round 2 2011, when Michael Rischitelli had 31 and Daniel Harris 30.

Petracca’s three goals in his first SUNS game also equalled the club best held by Izak Rankine in his AFL debut in Round 6 of the 2020 Covid season against Melbourne at the Sydney Showgrounds.

And, having received the maximum 10 votes in the AFL Coaches Player of the Year Award on Friday night, Petracca will be fancied to add yet another line to his record-breaking blitz on Brownlow Medal night.

Only one SUNS player has polled in the Brownlow in his SUNS debut – Rankine polled one vote for his three goals in a 17-point loss to Demons.

And who polled three votes in that game? Petracca, of course. He had 25 possessions and kicked two goals in what was the 250^thAFL game of SUNS great Jarrod Harbrow.

Petracca is a proven vote-winner, with 125 votes in the last six years. He was equal third with 20 votes in the short 2020 season, and 9^th-6^th-6^th in 2021-22-23 with 23-24-26 votes, before also polling 16 votes in both 2024 and 2025.