Final 12 months’s Norm Smith medallist Christian Petracca suffered a hairline fracture of the fibula and a contusion in his leg (a corkie) when he clashed with Lance Franklin within the first quarter of Friday night time’s qualifying closing.
He performed out the sport earlier than scans revealed the fracture nonetheless the Demons say he’s in additional hazard of lacking subsequent week’s sport by way of the corkie which may take time to settle somewhat than the fracture which is manageable.
A membership supply mentioned Petracca is sore however they nonetheless stay hopeful he will probably be out there to play towards the Brisbane Lions in subsequent week’s semi-final.
Petracca’s teammate Charlie Spargo additionally went to hospital post-match as a precaution after he couldn’t converse following the sport with the medical workers wanting to make sure the injury to his larynx was minor.
The Demons stay hopeful Christian Petracca will play towards the Lions after he was injured within the qualifying closingCredit score:Getty
In the meantime, disenchanted Melbourne skipper Max Gawn says nobody is underestimating the problem forward because the Demons put together to maintain their premiership defence alive within the cut-throat semi-final towards Lions.
xxxxto in a cut-throat semi-final subsequent week after dropping the qualifying closing by 22 factors to Sydney.
The Demons beat the Lions by 64 factors in spherical 15 on the MCG and 58 factors on the Gabba within the closing spherical of the season. They beat them in final 12 months’s qualifying closing and haven’t misplaced to them on the MCG since 2012.
The Lions may even be trying to interrupt an 11-game dropping streak on the MCG that dates again to 2014, and so they haven’t received a closing on the venue for the reason that 2004 preliminary closing.
However a disenchanted Gawn was not ready to concede that the current historical past towards their upcoming opponent would have any bearing on their subsequent encounter with a loss consigning the defending premiers to a straight units finals exit.
