MELBOURNE superstar Christian Petracca will miss the rest of the 2024 season after undergoing surgery following a collision during the Demons' King's Birthday loss to Collingwood on Monday.
Petracca was taken to hospital after the game, following a marking contest late in the first quarter where he was kneed in the ribs by Magpies captain Darcy Moore.
Scans revealed the 28-year-old midfielder had suffered four broken ribs, a lacerated spleen and a small puncture to his lung in the incident.
He underwent surgery on Monday evening and on Thursday confirmed via his Instagram page that he will miss the rest of the season.
"Thankful for all the love and support I've received these past few days," Petracca wrote.
"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. In the meantime, I'll be cheering the boys on from the sidelines and making some tasty meals in the kitchen."
In an update on Thursday afternoon, the Demons said doctors had advised Petracca would not be able to return to contact training for at least 12 weeks, in line with the start of the finals series, and his season was over.
The club said he had been moved out of the intensive care unit and on to the general ward in hospital.
Having been assessed at quarter-time after the collision with Moore, Petracca was given pain relief and returned to the field in the second quarter.
However, he was too restricted to continue playing and was subbed out of the game at half-time. With his pain levels increasing at the main break, he was taken to hospital for scans, where the extent of the damage was revealed.
Alan Richardson, the club's GM of Football, has backed the club's medical team for their treatment of Petracca.
"I want to make it clear that we have full confidence in how our medical team responded and the procedures they followed. Their expertise and swift actions have been crucial in managing Christian's injury and subsequent recovery," he said on Wednesday.
Petracca also backed the club's doctors and revealed after the match he had insisted on returning to the field.
The injury has ended his remarkable streak of 145 consecutive games, stretching back to round seven, 2018.
The 10th-placed Demons, who have lost four of their past five games, have the bye this weekend before facing North Melbourne in round 15, followed by a trip to the Gabba to play Brisbane in round 16.
