NARRM star Christian Petracca insists he has put the most turbulent period of his life behind him as he chases a second AFL premiership.
In the build-up to his 200th game, Petracca fought back tears on Wednesday when recounting last year’s life-threatening injuries.
The fallout from the significant setback and concerns over the Demons’ handling of his injuries also led to “strong conversations” with the club and speculation Petracca wanted a fresh start elsewhere.
There were fresh doubts over Petracca’s playing future when the Norm Smith medallist threw his mouthguard in frustration during Narrm’s 0-5 start to this season.
But on Wednesday the 29-year-old light-heartedly attributed his emotional response to his Italian heritage, and was adamant he remains committed to the Demons.
“I understand there’s always going to be noise surrounding that, but internally I know, my teammates know, my coaches know and the club knows that I’m a Melbourne person through and through,” Petracca said.
“Last year was nothing more than wanting to make this football club better and see success.
“We had strong conversations, but that’s healthy. What strong high performance environment isn’t having them?”
Petracca said he also challenged himself to improve as a leader over the off-season, adamant Narrm has the tools to repeat its 2021 premiership success.
“I wasn’t pointing fingers or blaming people,” he said.
“It was about, ‘As a collective, how can we get better?’
“For us, it’s about being in it together and understanding what we can achieve.”
Petracca, who sat out his entire first season with Narrm because of a knee injury, will play his 200th game when the Demons host Sydney at the MCG on Sunday.
Jack Viney, Christian Petracca, Max Gawn and Tom McDonald pose for a photo on May 20, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos
Reflecting on his journey so far, Petracca nominated the 2021 flag as his career highlight, and declared last year’s injuries his toughest challenge.
He briefly choked up when asked about that period, and paid tribute to his wife, Bella, and family for their support.
Petracca also borrowed a line from UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski when he said “adversity is a privilege”.
“I look back at that time now with incredible perspective, as I said, silver lining,” Petracca said.
“It’s given me a feeling that I never would’ve had before the injury. I think I took footy for granted a little bit, and life.
“It’s definitely shifted my priorities of what’s most important to me.”
