- Christian Petracca reveals details of the operation
- Suffered a seasonal rupture of his spleen
- Says he ‘wouldn’t wish it on his worst enemy’
Melbourne midfielder Christian Petracca has spoken publicly for the first time since undergoing “quite traumatic” surgery for shocking injuries including a ruptured spleen.
The 28-year-old midfielder is recovering at home after surgery to repair four broken ribs, a punctured lung and a ruptured spleen suffered during a marking match during the King’s Birthday loss to Collingwood.
Petracca’s season is now over and he admits there is ‘a lot of doubt’ about his future at the moment.
“I’m doing better… it was quite traumatic, four or five days in intensive care and the last few days were just in the ward, now I’m out of hospital, which is nice, I’m home,” Petracca told Nova’s Jase & Lauren.
Christian Peteracca (pictured) recovers at home after surgery to repair four broken ribs, a punctured lung and a ruptured spleen
The midfielder says he wouldn’t wish injuries on his worst enemy
“It’s been pretty full, I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.”
“I knew (Darcy Moore) hit me hard… but I didn’t realize the severity of it until 2 a.m. (the next morning) when I was gassed and they were performing surgery with my eyes open.
“I just thought it was a couple of broken ribs, which is serious, but I thought I could go back and play.”
Petracca controversially returned to the field after being injured, before being taken off for good 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, when I Now I If I knew the seriousness of it, I obviously wouldn’t have gone there again,” Petracca explained.
“At the time, I thought and we thought it was a broken rib, a couple of broken ribs, I wanted to go out there and play and compete.”
The 2021 Norm Smith medalist said Moore had been contacted several times since the collision at the weekend to check on his condition.
Petracca says he didn’t understand the full extent of his injuries until the next day
‘I watched a bit of football this weekend, I had to turn it off. Even with a simple tackle you put yourself back in the situation you were in. So obviously right now it’s pretty raw,” he said.
“I will be able to get back to the player I was, but at the moment there is a lot of self-doubt, which is fine, it’s a natural feeling.”