Petterd, who won the Hunter Harrison Medal as the best second division player in the 2006 NAB AFL Under-18 championships, and was later drafted Melbourne at No.30, is just thrilled to be back playing for the Sandringham seconds.
He was sidelined from round 15 last year after suffering a punctured lung the previous match against Carlton, which almost resulted in tragedy, before osteitis pubis forced him out after Melbourne's opening game of 2008 against Hawthorn.
Petterd has since returned via Melbourne's VFL affiliate Sandringham, having played the past three matches, which included 41 touches in his second appearance back. But it is just running around again that is most pleasing for the impressive young man.
"I keep telling myself it's not going to get any worse. I never expected to be out for another 10 weeks. I was out from round 14 last year and from rounds one to 10 this year … and as long as I continue to put in the effort and preparation during the week, then I feel like I'm confident with my body now," Petterd told melbournefc.com.au.
Petterd said he had a few "upsets along the way" with his latest injury, although he is now pain free.
"It happened in the pre-season in the NAB Cup. It was probably three games before round one, when I started to feel it. The doctors and I talked about it and they said I could push through it or it might go away with some of the treatment, because it wasn't so severe at this stage. But it didn't go away and from the first NAB Cup game, it was just so much more intense", Petterd said.
As for reflecting on his terrible injury last year, Petterd said he was "in a lifetime of debt" to the Melbourne doctors.
"I was a couple of minutes off [from death] they say, but since I'm playing footy again, I seem to forget about it and sometimes if I do feel down, I think about it and how lucky I am to be at the Melbourne Football Club with all of the boys.
"I remember everything of it. I remember losing my breath and going purple and getting stabbed in my chest. A lot of people think I wouldn't remember it, but it sticks out to me," he added with a laugh.
To view the full Q&A click to melbournefc.com.au
