Melbourne superstar Christian Petracca’s AFL year is officially over.
Taking to social media from his hospital bed, Petracca confirmed the sad news on Thursday.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Christian Petracca out for the rest of the season.
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“Thankful for all the love and support I’ve received these past few days,” Petracca, who had been placed in the Alfred Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, said.
“While my season may have come to an end, I’m grateful I still have the opportunity to give it my all again in 2025.”
The announcement comes after Petracca copped a brutal knee to the ribs from Darcy Moore during the Demons’ King’s Birthday clash with Collingwood on Monday.
He suffered horrific injuries, including four broken ribs, a lacerated spleen, and a small punctured lung.
“In the meantime, Ill be cheering the boys on from the sidelines and making some tasty meals in the kitchen ❤️💙🧑🍳,” the 28 year-old said.
Remarkably, Petracca played on in the second term before eventually being substituted out of the game.
He was then taken to hospital in an ambulance.
Melbourne were criticised for allowing Petracca to play in the second quarter after the serious incident.
But Petracca said it was entirely his call.
“I’m responsible for putting myself out there by the way for people talking about the medicos,” Petracca wrote on a Melbourne Instagram post.
In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, Melbourne said Petracca’s pain “increased at half-time” and, “despite assessing relatively well”, he was only sent to hospital as a precaution.
“Obviously, Christian’s health is the number one priority for us at the moment,” Richardson said.
“The next few weeks will be crucial, and we’ll be monitoring his progress closely to make sure he heals properly and fully.
“He’s obviously an extremely important player for the team, but his health and recovery are our top priorities right now.”
Petracca was expected to be moved out of ICU and into a general ward on Thursday.
“Christian is in good spirits and making positive strides in his recovery,” Melbourne’s football manager Alan Richardson said on Wednesday night.
Richardson also backed the club’s medical team.
“I want to make it clear that we have full confidence in how our medical team responded and the procedures they followed,” Richardson said.
“Their expertise and swift actions have been crucial in managing Christian’s injury and subsequent recovery.”
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