AFL superstar Christian Petracca has spoken out about his mental health struggles following a shock injury, as speculation mounts over his future with the Melbourne Demons.
The Demons’ striker was left with four broken ribs, a punctured lung and a lacerated spleen when Collingwood’s Darcy Moore accidentally kneed him on June 10.
The sickening incident, which was compared to a car crash, ended his season and the trauma it caused still haunts the midfielder to this day.
“The surgery in general was probably a really traumatic experience,” he said. Howie’s games podcast.
‘I was awake, I had internal bleeding, I couldn’t fall asleep under anesthesia… I can think about every single thing that happened during that time.
“I couldn’t feel (the cut), but I remember screaming at the surgeon and getting quite claustrophobic.”
Petracca also revealed that he was asked to give his fiancée Bella’s number to the surgeon.
“I didn’t know it at the time, I was on drugs, but Bella came into the ICU the next day and basically said at three in the morning we got the surgeon’s number because he called to say that you (Petracca) basically might not survive,” he said.
“He’s in critical condition, because there was internal bleeding and everything, so he’s in serious and critical condition.”
“For me, the most important thing was that blow, more than the injury itself.”
The soccer star says he still has trouble sleeping because of the ordeal.
The 28-year-old needed surgery to repair four broken ribs and a lacerated spleen.
The Melbourne superstar revealed there was a time when doctors thought he wouldn’t survive
“To be honest, I can’t sleep because of things like this. I have to go see a psychologist who specializes in traumatology to help me with what’s going on,” he said.
“I’m talking about a lot of things. Self-doubt, trauma, not the incident, but the trauma and stress of it all. I’ve been to the hospital three or four times for emergencies.”
Petracca is confident that he will return to his best in due time, but at the moment things are still very delicate.
“People are so nice and ask me what’s going on, like, ‘How are you? How are you?’ I think I get asked that constantly, I relive it so much,” she said.
‘For me, I think about it every day and it’s something that I will eventually get over. So, mentally I’m struggling a bit, but I know that the work I do mentally (with mindfulness, meditation and surrounding myself with good people) will definitely do me good.
“I think you have to understand that what I’m going through is a very raw and unique experience. I’m trying to find a silver lining to everything: ‘Did this happen for a reason? How can I find the silver lining in such a difficult situation?’ Being able to spend time with my loved ones.
Petracca says he is still struggling with the trauma of the sickening incident.
“So when you see those images of my mother and my partner hugging me… we are all someone’s sons, brothers and colleagues, at the end of the day, we are human beings. Football is just one part of my life.”
The Demons insist Petracca, who has a five-year contract, will not be moved but recent reports suggest he wants to leave.
A report presented in The age revealed that Petracca expressed his desire to leave the club during his exit interview.
Another report suggested he was unhappy with the handling of his injury, Melbourne’s recent form and the club’s handling of the Clayton Oliver situation.
It has also been suggested that Blues striker Harry McKay could be a good trade option if Carlton were interested.
As speculation mounts over the move, football journalist Caroline Wilson has described the drama as “the most explosive pre-final trade story in a long time”.
