Why Lyon doesn't agree with Riewoldt's 'mental demons' Petracca analysis

Is Melbourne star Christian Petracca playing with the same commitment to the contest after the traumatic injury he suffered in last year’s King’s Birthday clash?

St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt isn’t so sure after picking out several examples on Channel 7’s The Agenda Setters where he thinks mental scarring is causing the midfielder to pull out of collision marking contests.

Melbourne great Garry Lyon, who has watched all of Petracca’s 14 games since the injury, doesn’t see eye-to-eye with Riewoldt.

In fact, Lyon supports any instance where Petracca uses some discretion about putting himself in dangerous situations given the significant injuries including a lacerated spleen, punctured lung and fractured ribs that he suffered last season.

“I’ve watched every game, and I have not had cause to be concerned about his commitment to the footy,” Lyon told SEN Breakfast.

“But I will say this on the weekend, there was a situation where the ball just floated over his head, and he started to go back and my immediate reaction was, ‘Please, don't go back for that’.

“So, I understand what Nick said, and there's no one more qualified to talk about it because he was one of the most courageous I've seen doing that.

“There are instances where you can be a bit more discretionary in when you do it. For him to go back in that particular incidence against Port, would have just exposed himself for no great gain.

“So, I don't have one issue in the world if he's being a bit more selective in that.”

While Lyon doesn’t think that Petracca’s commitment to the contest is impacting how he plays, he did concede that the midfielder is yet to reach the same heights post-injury as he tries to work his way back to top form.

“Without having done this, I could go back and pull out 100 instances this year where he goes and puts himself there and wins what is deemed to be a hard ball that could potentially put him at risk,” Lyon said.

“I think I'd encourage him to be a bit more selective in some of those instances… but I don't think it's impacting the way he plays.

“I don't think he's got to the heights of the footy that he has had played previously, but as I said that's a bit consistent with others that have had pretty traumatic injuries and have had to come back from it.”

As they’re currently taking the week off with the bye, Petracca and the Demons next face the Suns on the Gold Coast in Round 16.