And it’s not just any old former club. It’s the club with which he had the greatest day of his football life in 2021.

It will be 1,772 days since the now 30-year-old, 229-game midfielder enjoyed the ultimate football success when Melbourne beat the Western Bulldogs by 74 points in the 2021 grand final at Optus Stadium, and he won the Norm Smith Medal.

In his 127th game, Petracca had 39 possessions (24 contested), nine clearances, two goals and two goal assists. It was close to the perfect game on the biggest stage.

He was judged best afield by each of five judges, Luke Hodge (chairman), Harry Taylor, Tania Armstrong, Andrew Krakouer and Cal Twomey, to claim the medal from teammate Bailey Fritsch.

Petracca was one possession short of his career-high 40 possessions, which came against Gold Coast at People First Stadium in 2022, and his contested possession count was a personal best.

And for a moment on the biggest day of his football life he had broken the AFL record for most possessions in a grand final, set by Brisbane’s Simon Black at 39 in 2003.

Channel 7 commentators noted as much, and statistics issued by the AFL immediately after the game by Champion Data and published in the media the following day had him at 40.

But television graphics during the post-game celebrations listed him at 39. And on the Sunday Champion Data confirmed he had been credited with a handball that was subsequently taken away in review.

It’s not an uncommon practice, which generally passes with little or no attention, but such was the occasion it was big news.

Subject to final selection, Petracca will play against 11 members of the 2021 Melbourne premiership side on Sunday, captain Max Gawn, Jake Bowey, Fritsch, Ed Langdon, Jake Lever, Tom McDonald, Harry Petty, Kozzy Pickett, Trent Rivers, Christian Salem and Tom Sparrow.

Gawn and McDonald also played in Petracca’s first AFL game in 2016, while Gawn, Fritsch, Langdon, Lever, Pickett and Rivers played in his 100th game in 2020, and Gawn, Bowey, Fritsch, Langdon, Lever, Petty, Pickett, Rivers and Sparrow played in his 200th game in 2025.

It’s a moment that only four other SUNS players have been through: Gary Ablett Jnr, Campbell Brown, Brandon Ellis and Daniel Rioli.

Ablett, a 2007 & 2009 premiership player at Geelong, played against his former side for the first time in Round 10, 2011 at People First Stadium. It was his 199th career game and his seventh game in red and yellow. He faced 16 premiership teammates, 14 from each flag.

The SUNS led by 20 points at quarter-time but went down by 66 points despite 31 possessions from Ablett. Steve Johnson kicked seven goals for the Cats for three Brownlow Medal votes.

Brown, a 2008 premiership player at Hawthorn, faced his former club and nine premiership teammates for the first time three weeks later in Launceston. He had 13 possessions.

Ellis, a two-time premiership player at Richmond, faced the Tigers for the first time at the Gabba in Round 12 of the 2020 COVID season. The SUNS led by 10 points at half-time but lost by 21 points as Trent Cotchin and Nick Vlastuin picked up the minor votes behind best-afield SUN Jack Lukosius.

Ellis faced no fewer than 16 premiership teammates.

Rioli added an extra dimension to the reunion. Having been part of Richmond’s 2017-19-20 premierships under coach Damien Hardwick, he played under Hardwick for Gold Coast against Richmond for the first time in 2025.

It was Rioli’s fifth SUNS game in Round 6 at Marvel Stadium when the Tigers prevailed by 11 points despite the SUNS kicking the only five goals of the final term.

Oddly, Rioli faced only six premiership teammates, Vlastuin, Noah Balta, Nathan Broad, ex-SUN Tom Lynch, Kamdyn McIntosh and Toby Nankervis. He had 11 possessions as Vlastuin took three votes.

The only other premiership player to join the SUNS was Nathan Ablett, who shared in the 2007 flag with his brother in his last game for the Cats. But he played only twice in red and yellow, and not against Geelong.

Among the current SUNS side, seven others have played against their first club for a 3-4 split. John Noble, Sam Collins and Nick Holman had a win, and Jarrod Witts, Ben Long, Lachie Weller and Oscar Adams had a loss.

Noble had the most memorable reintroduction to his former Collingwood teammates in his 16th SUNS game, collecting 30 possessions in a six-point win at PFS in Round 18 last year.

The SUNS had led by 28 points at three-quarter time, 8.9 (57) to 3.11 (29), but conceded the first five goals of the final term before Long put them in front and then a best-afield Noah Anderson kicked what turned out to be the sealer ahead of 15 goalless minutes.

Noble is now 1-1 against the Magpies.

Collins, sacked by Ross Lyon at Fremantle in 2017, faced his former side and his former coach in his second game for the SUNS, and celebrated with his first SUNS win.

It was Round 2, 2019 at PFS. The visitors were 10 points up with 10 minutes to play before Alex Sexton and David Swallow kicked the last two goals for a three-point win. Collins was his normal tough self with 18 touches, two contested marks and seven one-percenters.

Collins is 4-4 against the Dockers.

Holman, released by Carlton in 2015, also had his first SUNS win in his second SUNS game against his former side in 2019, but only after two years with Central Districts in the SANFL.

Brendan Bolton had taken charge of the Blues as they hosted the SUNS at Marvel Stadium in what was an all-the-way SUNS win by 34 points in Stuart Dew’s second game at the helm. Lynch kicked eight goals and Holman had 15 possessions (11 contested) and 11 tackles.

Holman is 4-4 against the Blues.

Witts waited until Round 17 of his first season at the SUNS to play former side Collingwood at PFS, and after scores were level at half-time the Pies won by 15 points.

The big ruckman lost his first seven games against the Magpies but has won the last two.

Long waited only four games in 2023 to play against his former side St Kilda but copped a 53-point loss at Marvel Stadium in what was the AFL debut for Bailey Humphrey and Ned Moyle. Long is now 5-3 against the Saints.

Weller played against Fremantle in his third SUNS game at Optus Stadium in Round 3, 2018. Scores were level at half-time before the home side won by 28 points. Weller is 4-3 against the Dockers.

Adams, who had two years at St Kilda without playing at AFL level, had to wait until his second year and his 14th game to play the Saints. But it was worth the wait. The SUNS came from 25 points down at quarter-time at TIO Stadium in Round 9 this year for a 29-point win.

Adams will be hoping to play against St Kilda again in Round 24 at Marvel Stadium.