Past #20: Drew Petrie - NM '01-'16 (324gms/428gls) - WCE '17 (8gms/16gls) - thx for everything Drew

[Luke72]

The best part about this is Greg Denham was adamant Drew would not be going to the Eagles. He said he'd cancel his membership if they picked him up. KB will get stuck into him big time.

I'd be happy for him to give up his radio spot rather than his membership

 

[Roozee]

Obviously no NMFC games were shown in the West in 2016. Good luck to big Drewy but I fear he's going two years too long.

Yeah, Simmo's got the blinkers on if this eventuates. Heart and gut based decision and not a head one. Probably a lot of sweet talking on his behalf. Obviously knows Drew's game intimately but didn't see SFA of Drew's game circa 2016! I love Drewy and this is gonna bite hard if it happens and please not Round 1. Will be like staring at the sun.....

 

[Rockstar6]

Drew will be picked up in the rookie draft by WCE.

 

[Roozee]

Drew will be picked up in the rookie draft by WCE.

Yeah, you'd think that they would have given him some sort of assurance by now to let it drag on this long.

He'd need to get a lot of things in order/make decisions on the logistics of going west.

Will likely be upgraded by Round 1 but is not a walk up start by any means in WCE line-up.

Hope he's prepared to play WAFL!

If he is named Round 1 at least we know we could get away with playing a debutant 3rd tall on him with minimal damage!

 

[Rockstar6]

Yeah, you'd think that they would have given him some sort of assurance by now to let it drag on this long.

He'd need to get a lot of things in order/make decisions on the logistics of going west.

Will likely be upgraded by Round 1 but is not a walk up start by any means in WCE line-up.

Hope he's prepared to play WAFL!

If he is named Round 1 at least we know we could get away with playing a debutant 3rd tall on him with minimal damage!

I believe Drew and WCE have agreed to do a rookie deal. That being said, the rookie draft is an open pool so there are no guarantees. He is cooked but is just trying to prolong his career

 

[naturally north]

******* funny stuff, when he lines up against us we best counter his pressure acts........ apparently of the scale

 

[Devington]

******* funny stuff, when he lines up against us we best counter his pressure acts........ apparently of the scale

For a fair while in 2015 they were. And at the start of 2016 he was close to as just as good IMO. But boy... when he lost his form he lost it for good, and father time and Scott's selection policy gave what was left of his form a kick in the nads for good measure.

 

[Roozee]

Is Drew training anywhere? With hopes of being picked up surely he would need to be "in training"?

 

[andana]

Trayning is a town in the WA wheatbelt.

 

[Roozee]

Trayning is a town in the WA wheatbelt.

A bustling metropolis of approx. 430 people. Drew hiding there?

Could be his escape plan 236 km's east of Perth when the Weagles supporters turn brutal on him!

 

[Elite Master]

Love Petrie but he has been cooked for a good 2 or 3 years now. Sure he presented a target, took the #1 defender and pressured a lot during this time frame, but he is not the player he once was, and will only get slower and weaker if he plays on as a forward for WCE. Will be ok as a ruck in parts, but he is no full time ruckmen, especially at 35.

 

[The Nostradamus]

Hope he enjoys playing wafl

 

[Grogg]

Congrats to the big guy, if true. WCE basically a North satelite club these days.

Destroying from within. Great tactic

 

[tazaa]

Dish an Eagle. Just yuck

 

[Devington]

Baffling.

 

[ChopChopDigDig]

I feel sorry for him

 

[ApplecrossWC]

 

[LuvtheKangas]

That's just sad.

 

[Roozee]

View attachment 314277

 

[NM_Mitchell]

I hope he goes well.
I'll be there round 1 cheering him on, don't care if he's on the other team, great bloke and deserves all the success that we couldn't give him.
This is the one year I'll be hoping the Eagles do well.


Pictures of him in Eagles kit make me hurt almost as much as when they announced he, Boomer and Spud were going.

 

[TwentyNine]

After 316 games putting his body on the line for the NMFC, he has earned our support wherever he goes. Best of luck Dish

 

[Roozee]

View attachment 314277

Wrong guernsey. It's this.......

 

[Sheezel2Wardlaw]

VETERAN forward Drew Petrie admits 2016 wasn't his best year, but the West Coast rookie recruit is adamant he still has more to offer at his new club.

Controversially told his time was up at North Melbourne before last season finished, Petrie has been given another chance to extend his career, with the Eagles adding depth to their depleted big man department.

Aged 34, Petrie is the oldest player to ever be recruited via the NAB AFL Rookie Draft.

"I still think I've got enough to give, enough to offer another footy club and I'm really excited that the West Coast Eagles read my name out," Petrie told the club's website.

"Last year wasn't my best year, but the previous five years leading into the 2016 season have been really consistent and really solid.

"My body's been sound, I've played every game, trained every session, so I've got a hardened, resilient body capable, I feel, to go into my 17th season of footy."

Petrie booted 27 goals from 23 games last year, after hauls of 42, 50, 48, 58 and 48 in his previous five seasons.

But the ex-Roos forward will be asked to shoulder a bigger ruck load by new coach and former teammate Adam Simpson in the wake of long-term knee injuries to Nic Naitanui and Scott Lycett.

"I turned 34 in the off-season, so I'm old in footy young in life is what I like to say," Petrie said.

"The opportunity came once I'd finished at North Melbourne and I thought I had more to give football.

"There's still fire in the belly to play and compete and to do it over here, to see a different footy club, to meet a lot of new people, those experiences as well were really appealing."

Petrie joins former Cats big man Nathan Vardy and Hawthorn great Sam Mitchell heading west for fresh starts this off-season.

Injury-cursed for much of his six years at Geelong, talented forward-ruck Vardy has arrived in Perth ready to go for pre-season training and completed the club's 2km time trial on Monday.

Running machine Chris Masten took the honours at the WA Athletics Stadium, but was pushed all the way by athletically-gifted youngster Tom Lamb.

Star wingman Andrew Gaff and forward Jamie Cripps rounded out the top four, while key defender Eric Mackenzie – coming off a frustrating campaign after a knee reconstruction – impressed with his run.

Masten said the Eagles' players were being driven by last season's elimination final exit at the hands of eventual premiers the Western Bulldogs.

"The way we finished off was pretty disappointing," Masten said.

"We had a good back end of the year, but to go out the way we did in the finals at home was pretty disappointing.

"There’s lots of things to work on."

 

[Grogg]

Controversially?

FMD.

Harvey, probably, but the Big Dish?

In all seriousness . ..

 

[andana]

Drew is going to be playing at Leederville Oval. It turns into a swamp when it rains. Peel/Dockers got a game moved from there last year coz it didn't meet the standard.