Melbourne superstar Christian Petracca resumes running this weekend but has emphatically ruled out a sensational return from his horror injury in time for finals.
Petracca will take a major step forward in his recovery from a lacerated spleen after being cleared to go for a light run for the first time since he was hospitalised on the King’s Birthday and ruled out for the rest of the season.
Christian Petracca will run for the first time this weekend since suffering a lacerated spleen.Credit: AFL Photos
He also broke four ribs after copping an accidental knee from Collingwood captain Darcy Moore in a marking contest and has since had to undergo further surgery to remove his appendix.
“[I’m] feeling really good, start running tomorrow which is really exciting,” Petracca told Nova on Friday from Noosa, where he is on holiday.
“Very, very light, only one or two kilometres. Small steps which is really exciting. I think it’ll be very light. Run a little bit, stop.”
But Petracca was quick to quash any suggestions of a miracle return to the field, regardless of whether the Demons, 10th with five rounds to play, can qualify for a fourth straight finals campaign.
Though the Demons had ruled Petracca out for the remainder of the home and away season, there had been hope he could resume contract training during the finals, leaving the door ajar for a comeback in September. But the gun midfielder has shut down that talk.
“There’s no chance,” Petracca said. “My first contact [training] would be three to four months away, still.”
Petracca admitted he was a little out-of-touch with the daily club news during his recovery, but would be up to speed with the game plan and match ups in time for their clash with Greater Western Sydney on Saturday night.
The Demons have won three of their five games since Petracca’s season-ending injury, but his absence was keenly felt in their heavy loss to Fremantle.
With skipper Max Gawn also injured and Clayton Oliver well down on his best form, the Dees were smashed at stoppages - an area of the game they have been strong in under coach Simon Goodwin – losing the first 15 clearances of the game.
Gawn returns after two weeks out with an ankle injury in a much-needed boost for the Dees against a Giants midfield still missing Josh Kelly and Stephen Coniglio.
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