Melbourne key forward Brody Mihocek feared he’d never walk again when he was crushed in a confronting tackle during the King’s Birthday clash with Collingwood earlier this month.

Mihocek required neck surgery after an incident with former teammate Billy Frampton brought the June 7 fixture to a halt for 10 minutes while doctors carefully attended to him.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Mihocek breaks silence on neck injury scare

The 2023 Collingwood premiership player was able to walk after surgery, but the Demons quickly ruled him out for the remainder of the season.

Speaking publicly for the first time since the incident, the Mihocek said he is still coming to grips with the injury and his recovery.

“I’m feeling a lot better and the support’s been amazing, I’ve had a lot of very kind messages from a lot of people,” he told Melbourne’s website on Wednesday.

“I’m still obviously coming to terms with the injury; I like to think it’s just another football injury, but it is pretty unique. Taking it day by day, really.

“To think of what could have been at the time, I’m pretty thankful to just be up and walking and talking as well.”

Frampton initially received a three-match ban for the tackle that injured Mihocek, but later had it overturned at the AFL tribunal.

“I heard a massive crack when I hit the ground and then lost feeling in pretty much most of my body, then the worry kicked in there,” Mihocek said of the tackle.

“I remember yelling out and saying that I needed some help, I had some trainers come up straight away, and then the doctors.

“I think I first started to get feeling back in my hips and then it slowly started coming back to my legs and arms, but still was limited in what I could do with the functions.

“It was pretty scary, the initial couple of minutes, I knew obviously I had (done) something pretty bad, but to have feeling back was the main thing for me, and I knew I was in good hands with the doctors and the support crew on the day.”

Recalling his thoughts immediately after his head crashed into the ground at an awkward angle, the 33-year-old admitted his mind went straight to the worst.

“Obviously your thoughts go to, ‘I’m not going to be able to walk for the rest of my life’,” he said.

“I think I played out scenarios in my head pretty quickly of what life would be like, and what life would be like with a family as well.

“It’s funny how quickly you can think of things in a little moment there, but on the day, everyone was pretty calm and I think I tried to stay calm as well for everyone around.

“It would have been pretty traumatising for a few, but I think I held myself together pretty well.”

Mihocek is in a neckbrace, which he will wear for another six weeks, before six more weeks of “pretty minimal movement”.

“When you’re a full-time athlete and then you get that all taken away, it can be pretty daunting, but just little things I can do, I reckon I can start ticking off a few rehab things, getting back and trying to get involved with the team,” he said.

“The back half of the year gets pretty hard, so if I can be around and add a bit of support here and there, try and help the forward line as much as I can.

“Just to be around the club, it’ll help with my mental state and I know the guys appreciate what I can bring to the team as well, so I’ll just be in and around the club and trying to do my best.”