Christian Petracca will miss Melbourne's best-and-fairest night to attend a Red Bull training camp in Austria, focusing on his recovery from a lacerated spleen, punctured lung, and four broken ribs.
## What happened to Christian Petracca?
Petracca suffered the injuries in June after an accidental knee from Collingwood captain Darcy Moore, prompting him to weigh up his future at Melbourne.
The 28-year-old has been recovering and declared he will be ready for day one of pre-season.
## Why it matters for Christian Petracca
Petracca's commitment to staying at the Demons in 2025 was confirmed via a club statement last month, despite recent trade speculation.
He has not spoken to outside media since, but shared his thoughts with the club's media team before flying out to Europe.
## What comes next for Christian Petracca?
Petracca played 145 consecutive games before his horrific injuries on the King's Birthday holiday, but is intent on returning for the Demons' first game of 2025.
He will use the Europe trip to regain confidence in himself and his body, ready to attack day one of pre-season.
The trip will be a huge part of his continued recovery, with access to some of the best high-performance people in the world.
Petracca is looking forward to day one of pre-season, prioritizing his injury and trying to get back to the player and person he was.
He wants to compete and get back out on the MCG in round one for the fans.
The Demons are undergoing reviews of the board and the football department to determine how they slumped from a regular premiership contender.
Melbourne president Kate Roffey exited after Petracca's disgruntlement, but the club is working towards creating a better environment for the players.
Petracca had robust discussions with the club over the past two or three months, which he believes will help the team rise back up the ladder.
The conversations were really healthy, and Petracca thinks that's awesome for the club.
He wants to create something special for the fans and make the environment a good one for the players.
Petracca is excited to run back out on the MCG in round one and compete for the Demons.
The Red Bull training camp in Austria will be a huge part of his recovery, and he's looking forward to using their facilities.
Petracca's recovery is on track, and he's optimistic about 2025, aiming to be back to his best.