Christian Petracca makes shock revelation in rare interview amid AFL trade rumours

As speculation over his AFL future mounts, Melbourne superstar Christian Petracca has opened up about his mental health struggles and revealed the shocking moment his fiancée Bella was told he could die during surgery.

The 28-year-old is unsure about staying at the Demons after reiterating his frustrations with the club during his exit interview on Monday.

Petracca has been silent for several weeks but has now returned to the spotlight with the release of a podcast recorded on August 9 – just days before initial reports that he was unhappy and might consider requesting a trade.

Stay up to date with the latest news with the 7NEWS app: Download it today

Pettacca has struggled with his mental health since suffering a life-threatening injury when he hurt his knee in Melbourne’s clash with Collingwood on the King’s Birthday.

In addition to the lacerated spleen, he suffered four broken ribs and a punctured lung, and spent nearly a week in intensive care after undergoing emergency surgery.

Those moments under the knife continue to haunt Petracca.

“The surgery in general was probably a very traumatic experience,” he told LiSTNR’s The Howie Games.

“I was awake the whole time, I had internal bleeding, I couldn’t be put to sleep under anesthesia. I can think about everything that happened during that time.

“I didn’t feel anything (the cut), but I remember attacking the surgeon and becoming quite claustrophobic.”

Petracca said he remembered giving his fiancée’s phone number to the surgeon at 3 a.m.

“I didn’t know it at the time, I was on drugs, but Bella came into intensive care the next day and said that at three o’clock in the morning we had the surgeon’s number because he had called to say I might not be able to come.”

“He is in critical condition, because there was internal bleeding and everything, so he is in serious and critical condition.”

“For me, it was more the fact that it affected me than the injury itself.”

Petracca insists he will be back to his best physically, but the mental scars are still healing.

“At the time, I was just taking medication and I came out of surgery, so (I thought) that’s great, give me some food,” he said.

“But you look at Bella’s face and you think, it must have been a lot more serious than I initially interpreted.

“Since then, the last six or seven weeks have been very difficult for both of us. She’s been incredible to me, from the moment I first met her, but also throughout this whole experience.”

Petracca said he felt like he was suffering from “insomnia.”

“To be honest, I can’t sleep because of this stuff. I have to see a trauma psychologist to deal with what’s happening,” he said.

“I talk about a lot of things. The doubt, the trauma, not the incident, just the trauma and the stress of it all. I had to go in and out of the hospital three or four times in the emergency room.”

Petracca was injured on the king’s birthday and was rushed to the operating room. Credit: PAA

He said it was difficult to “constantly be asked” how he was doing at a time when he was still reliving the ordeal.

“I think about it every day, and it’s something I’ll eventually get over,” Petracca said.

“Mentally I’m struggling a little bit, but I know that with all the work I’ve done mentally, all my mindfulness, meditation and surrounding myself with good people, I will definitely get through this.

“I think you just have to understand that what I’m going through is a pretty raw and unique experience.

“I try to find a positive side to everything. Did this happen for a reason? How can I find positive aspects in a really difficult situation?”

“Being able to spend time with my loved ones, with Bella, being able to cook more and do things on social media. When you see those images of my mum and my partner hugging me – we’re all a son, a brother and someone’s partner – at the end of the day, we’re just human beings.

“Football is just one part of our lives and we have other areas that we probably focus on more, to be honest. Football is just what we love because we loved doing it when we were younger.”

Petracca has spent time away from the club while recovering, with news emerging while on holiday in Noosa that he was unhappy at the Demons and could consider a transfer.

Melbourne have insisted Petracca, who is contracted until 2029, will not be traded but there are still more questions than answers.

Petracca’s family were present at the MCG before he was taken to hospital. Credit: Channel 7 / Instagram

“It is understood Petracca today reiterated his frustrations with the club and refused to guarantee he would stay until the end of his five-year contract, which the club had hoped would happen,” 7NEWS Melbourne’s Mitch Cleary said on Monday.

“Melbourne says he won’t be traded, but that won’t stop Petracca from working on a potential suitor before formally requesting a transfer.”

Medallist Norm Smith returned to the club last week but is still a long way from training.

Team-mate Steven May said last week’s address to the players was the first opportunity for Petracca to explain why he had taken time away from the club.

“He was very emotional,” May told Channel 7 last Friday.

“It was more about the fact that he had spoken to the club about needing some time off, and I think we were maybe away that week so he didn’t have a chance to speak to us himself.

“He just stood up and told us exactly what he was going through. He hadn’t missed a game (before his injury) in I don’t know how long – you take that away from someone and it can really cost you, so he needed some time away, and he opened up to us about how he was feeling, what he was struggling with.

“Mental health is different for everyone, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

“Some people would benefit from staying at the club, getting involved in coaching, or others would need to move away and leave Melbourne.

“It was nice to have a little more clarity on that.”