- Demons star needed blood transfusions after punch
- He was left with broken ribs and serious internal injuries
- Made his first public appearance since the worst moment of his career
AFL star Christian Petracca has emerged with fiancée Bella Beischer in his first public appearance since his season was ended by a sickening injury that saw him rushed to hospital for surgery.
The Demons gun was left with four broken ribs, a punctured lung and a ruptured spleen when Collingwood’s Darcy Moore accidentally kneed him on June 10 – and when he left hospital he was still in so much pain that Beischer had to help him with basic everyday tasks.
Petracca and Beischer were seen walking in a Melbourne park on Tuesday, just hours before he gave an emotional TV interview in which he nearly broke down in tears as he opened up about the toll his injury has taken on his loved ones – and revealed a new one. details about his health struggles.
“The first few weeks were quite traumatic, to be honest,” he told Fox Sports’ AFL 360 show.
‘[I was in] ICU, to a ward, and then in and out of the hospital.
‘I was rushed to hospital early in the morning about a week ago for a few checks. I woke up with a few complaints and went straight to the hospital.
‘It was quite stressful, it’s something I’ve never experienced before.
“I did my ACL my freshman year [anterior cruciate ligament in the knee] and I was a bit young, naive and rash and didn’t understand the severity of the injury. Now, at 28, things are very different.”
Petracca and his fiancée Bella Beischer are pictured taking a walk in Melbourne as the Demons star was seen in public for the first time since the worst moment of his football career
The Demons star had to lean on his partner to help him carry out basic, everyday tasks after suffering four broken ribs and serious internal injuries against Collingwood on June 10.
Petracca said the hardest part about the injury was its impact on his fiancée
Petracca then struggled to hold back tears as he revealed the impact on Beischer and family after having to self-isolate for the first 10 days he spent at home to protect against infections.
“I get quite emotional when I think about it… probably more about the impact it’s had on my fiancé… that’s probably been the hardest part, to be honest,” he said.
“It’s been a challenge for both of us, but we’ll get through it.
“The support I’ve had from everyone has been remarkable – my fiancée, my parents, my family, her parents, my friends, the whole football world – it’s been amazing.
The 28-year-old had to undergo a blood transfusion at 2am after suffering internal bleeding following an accidental punch from Pies star Darcy Moore (pictured)
He was on the verge of tears as he revealed the toll his health battle has taken on his loved ones during a TV interview on Tuesday evening (pictured)
“But for me it’s still very raw.”
Shortly after the injury, it was reported that Petracca’s family was angry with the Melbourne Demons club after he was allowed to return to the field shortly after the goal.
The club vehemently denied this, but the star confirmed his loved ones were not happy with the situation and said there was a ‘level of frustration’.
“What you have to understand is that my parents and my fiancé were the only people who could see me in intensive care,” he explained.
‘There’s probably a certain amount of frustration and emotion because they were the only ones who knew the severity of the injury… and they saw me [and] that I needed blood transfusions at two in the morning.”