Melbourne star Christian Petracca says season-ending King's Birthday injuries 'the most traumatic thing I've experienced'

Melbourne star Christian Petracca has described the injuries he suffered in the King's Birthday clash against Collingwood as "the most traumatic thing I've experienced".

Petracca has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after being diagnosed with a Grade 5 lacerated spleen, four broken ribs and a punctured lung after copping a knee to his side from Collingwood captain Darcy Moore. 

Speaking publicly for the first time since being rushed to hospital as a result of the incident, Petracca dispelled reports suggesting his family was upset by Melbourne's handling of the injury during the match, where he initially returned to the ground after the blow from Moore before being subbed off. 

“Hindsight’s a great thing,” he told Fox Footy's AFL360. 

“Had we known it was a grade five spleen and four fractured ribs, I don’t think anyone would have let me back on the field — and neither myself, to be honest.

“I’m a competitor — I want to go back out there and try and compete. There’s so much adrenaline going through the situation; the game, 85,000 people (watching), playing against Collingwood in a big game — I think, in that situation, had I known it was a grade five spleen, there’s no way in hell I’d be going back out there, because we didn’t understand the severity of the injury at the time.

“I felt pretty sore out there, my breathing in some ways was affected a little bit — but nothing that I thought was life-threatening at all ... When I was out there, all I wanted to do was just compete and put my team first. Some people call it stupid (and) some people call it brave — I just wanted to compete for my teammates.”

Petracca said the "frustrating" aspect of his recovery was being unable to see anyone other than his parents and his fiancee in the first 10 days following his hospital visit.

“During the situation, it was heightened emotion for everyone — not just my family, but my fiancee and myself," he said.

“What you’ve got to understand is that my parents and my fiancee were the only people that could see me in ICU. There’s probably a little degree of frustration and emotion to it because they’re the only ones that knew the severity of the injury … and they saw me (and) that I needed blood transfusions at 2am.

“As any parent or like my two brothers, of course if I had a son or brother in the same situation, I’d be feeling a range of emotions: frustration, disappointment — anything, to be honest. It was a very stressful time for everyone.

“It’s probably been the most traumatic thing I’ve experienced.

“I’m getting quite emotional thinking about it. I think more (because of) the severity of it and how it’s impacted my fiancee — that’s probably been the hardest thing to be honest, I’m not going to lie.

“It’s been challenging for both of us, but we’re getting through it, which is the main thing … sorry. It’s been tough.

“The support I’ve received from everyone, it’s been remarkable — my fiancee, my parents, my family, her parents, my friends, the whole footy world — it’s been awesome.”