AFL star Christian Petracca makes stunning girlfriend admission following horrific internal injuries

Melbourne midfielder Christian Petracca has revealed that he needs his girlfriend Bella to help him with basic everyday tasks after undergoing surgery on shocking injuries, including a lacerated spleen.

The 28-year-old is recovering at home after surgery to repair four broken ribs, a punctured lung and a lacerated spleen, sustained in a marking contest during the King's Birthday loss to Collingwood.

The footy star is still in isolation due to the risk of infection, with only Bella and Petracca's parents allowed to visit him.

'I'm literally not allowed to do anything,' he said. 

'The spleen is a vital part of the immune system, so I had to get all my vaccinations done again. Bell's had to do everything - put me to bed, put my socks on, give me all my medication, cook me dinner.'

Petracca controversially returned to the field after being injured before he was subbed out of the game for good at halftime.

'I don't think people understand when you're out there playing, you just want to go out and compete as an athlete, as a competitor … you're on adrenaline, you don't really know what's going on, had I known now the severity of it I obviously wouldn't have gone back out there,' Petracca explained on Monday.

'At the time, I thought and we thought it was a cracked rib, a couple cracked ribs, (I) wanted to go out there and play and compete.'

The 2021 Norm Smith medallist said Moore had reached out to check in on his condition several times since the collision on the weekend.

'I watched a little bit of footy on the weekend, I had to turn it off. Even a simple tackle, you put yourself back in the situation you were. So of course, at the moment it's quite raw,' he said.

'I'll be able to get back to the player I was, just at the moment it's a lot of self doubt which is fine, it's a natural feeling.'

Reports have also emerged that Petracca's family aren't happy with the way the injury was handled, with AFL reporter Tom Morris explaining that the family haven't been seeing eye to eye with the club.

'He released via his own account he was out for the season before the club did. Probably gives you an indication of what he and his family thought,' Morris said on SEN.

'Absolutely (they were upset) and frustrated at the club. I think it's more what happened in the days that followed. There was certainly a feeling from the Petracca family the club could've done things better.'