Revealed: The horrific extent of internal injuries Melbourne Demons superstar Christian Petracca suffered during King’s Birthday AFL showdown with Collingwood
- Christian Petracca would be sidelined indefinitely
- Melbourne Demons star suffered a series of brutal injuries
- Resulted in a collision with Magpies skipper Darcy Moore
Melbourne Demons superstar Christian Petracca will be sidelined indefinitely after scans confirmed multiple injuries – including a ruptured spleen – in a collision during his team’s King’s Birthday loss to Collingwood.
Petracca, 28, was taken to hospital after the match following a marking contest late in the first quarter in which he was kneed in the ribs by Collingwood captain Darcy Moore at the MCG.
He was examined during the 15 minutes and given pain relief, courageously returning to the field before the pain became unbearable.
“This is extraordinary, Christian barely crawled off the ground at quarter-time,” football player Tim Watson said in his commentary.
Geelong legend Cameron Ling added: “He’s so brave at the moment but he’s not comfortable there at all. I don’t know how much longer he can last.’
Melbourne Demons superstar Christian Petracca will be sidelined indefinitely after scans confirmed multiple injuries during his team’s King’s Birthday loss to Collingwood on June 10
The midfielder suffered a painful blow to the ribs at the end of the first term, but continued to play remarkably at the MCG
Petracca was eventually taken away and rushed to hospital for scans which showed four broken ribs, a ruptured spleen and a small hole in his lung.
Subsequent scans revealed that Petracca had suffered four broken ribs, a ruptured spleen and a small puncture in his lung in the incident.
The midfielder underwent surgery on Monday evening and is currently in hospital recovering.
He took to Instagram after surgerythanking his followers for their ‘love and support’.
Demons football boss Alan Richardson insisted Petracca’s health was the main priority and not a return date.
“The next few weeks will be crucial and we will monitor his progress closely to ensure he heals properly and completely,” he said.
“As his recovery progresses, we will look forward to a return to the timeline.
“He is obviously an extremely important player for the team, but his health and recovery are our top priorities at this time.”
Melbourne missed Petracca dearly as Collingwood secured a convincing 38-point win in front of 84,659 fans on Monday.
Simon Goodwin’s men sit in tenth place after thirteen matches and are back in action on June 22 when they take on the struggling Kangaroos.