- Christian Petracca reveals details of the surgery
- He suffered a spleen laceration that ended his season.
- He says he “wouldn’t wish it on his worst enemy.”
Melbourne midfielder Christian Petracca has spoken publicly for the first time since undergoing “pretty traumatic” surgery for shocking injuries, including a spleen laceration.
The 28-year-old midfielder is recovering at home following surgery to repair four broken ribs, a punctured lung and a lacerated spleen, suffered in a marking contest during King’s Birthday’s defeat to Collingwood.
Petracca’s season is over and he admits that right now there are “a lot of doubts” about his future.
“I’ve been better… it’s been pretty traumatic, four or five days in the ICU and the last two days I was in the ward, now I’m out of the hospital, which is good, I’m home,” Petracca said. Jase and Lauren from Nova.
Christian Peteracca (pictured) is recovering at home after surgery to repair four broken ribs, a punctured lung and a lacerated spleen.
The midfielder says he wouldn’t wish injuries on his worst enemy
“It’s been pretty intense, I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”
‘I knew he (Darcy Moore) hit me well… but I didn’t realize how serious it was until 2am (the next morning), when they had filled me with petrol and were operating on me with my eyes open.
“I thought it was a couple of broken ribs, which is serious, but I thought I could play again.”
Petracca controversially returned to the field after being injured before being substituted permanently at half-time.
“I don’t think people understand when you’re playing, you just want to go out and compete as an athlete, as a competitor… you’re on adrenaline, you don’t really know what’s going on, if I had Now that I knew the seriousness of the problem, obviously I wouldn’t would have come out again,” Petracca explained.
“At that point, I thought and we thought it was a broken rib, a couple of broken ribs, (I) wanted to go out and play and compete.”
The 2021 Norm Smith medalist said Moore had stopped by to check on his condition several times since the weekend collision.
Petracca says he didn’t realize the full extent of his injuries until the next day.
“I watched a bit of football at the weekend and had to turn it off. Even with a simple tackle, you put yourself back in the situation you were in. So, of course, at the moment the situation is quite raw,” he said.
“I’ll be able to go back to being the player I was, right now I have a lot of doubts, which is fine, it’s a natural feeling.”