Melbourne Demons star Christian Petracca is still dealing with the effects of a life-threatening injury. It was a high-impact injury he picked up in the 2024 King’s Birthday match against Collingwood. The crash left his spleen in critical condition. Though it did get him into intensive care, knocking him out for the rest of the season as he elected to focus on recovering rather than playing the game.
The severity of the injury has changed the way Petracca plays. Former AFL great Nick Riewoldt has recently called out a punishing difference in his playing style since returning. Collingwood great Riewoldt questioned setup, pointing out that Petracca has shown an uncanny ability to evade contact, particularly in marking situations. On backtracking, the ambassador hinted that Petracca could be fighting ‘mental demons’ that were affecting his confidence of the ball.
Petracca’s coach, Simon Goodwin, expressed optimism about his player’s recovery, claiming that Petracca is “right back to his best” and will approach every contest as he normally would. Riewoldt challenges that conclusion, highlighting a concerning trend on Petracca’s play.
“Again, that’s a situation, pre-injury, he’s going back harder than that,” – Nick Riewoldt
Riewoldt’s observations are supported by footage showing Petracca’s reluctance to engage in physical confrontations. He made it clear that this concern goes beyond the physical, to the psychological as well.
“Because at the moment, it looks like he’s unsure about his own body in that contested situation.” – Nick Riewoldt
Since returning to the field those numbers jump to 25.3 disposals and almost one goal per game. As Riewoldt suggests, all the flopping aside, the low intensity in Petracca’s play is a sign of bigger problems.
“It wasn’t a one-off either; we’ve seen it all year when he has to open himself up, he just doesn’t have the same intensity at the football.” – Nick Riewoldt
The mental side of recovery is frequently overlooked. Funnily enough, Riewoldt touches on this complexity, stressing that the anxiety of re-injury may very well be driving Petracca’s gameplay more than anything.
“And I think it’s understandable. The fear or the threat of getting hit in the same spot, I think, has become a really big thing for him.” – Nick Riewoldt
Cornes, a former player and broadcaster turned AFL-political-spy, said he’d like to know what mental obstacles Petracca is overcoming. He emphasized the role support played in allowing Petracca to focus and find his confidence again.
“It’s been about love and it’s been about protection, it’s getting him back, falling in love with the place, bringing his family back after the damage that was done.” – Cornes
Cornes asked an interesting rhetorical question about the best coaching strategies to break through these mental barriers.
“How do you possibly coach that out of his game?” – Cornes
Christian Petracca healing and finding a new normal after brutal stabbing. As this year’s training camp opened, the coaching staff, local pundits and exasperated fans alike were cautiously optimistic for his rebound. As he continues to fight physical and mental demons on the field, his performance will be fascinating to watch.
