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

[Lidge]

Huh? How did you miss all those Petrie bashing threads from last year and earlier this year?

I agree with windsock's earlier comment that some of the abuse directed at Petrie has been ridiculous and it does seem that a few people look forward to sticking the boot in if they feel that he's had a poor game.

IMO - if the match committee had performed their jobs properly over the past 18 months, we wouldn't see as much Petrie abuse on here.

Whether you like him as a player or not and take the blinkers off, Petrie has played a lot of sub-standard footy in that time and should have been dropped a couple of times to find form and earn his spot in the team the old fashioned way. IMO - it's because he's a protected species, and hasn't been 'punished' at the selection table unlike some of his more talented teammates - he cops it harder, when the punters are looking to blow off some steam (& not always after a loss).

I reckon we just have to grin and bear it (Monty Pyton voice appears in head - "he's not the ********ing messiah!) and concede he'll be picked most weeks and he's the sort of player who will divide opinion on forums like this one.

In the red corner....
e
He tries his guts out every week & is great at the 1 percenters, he's a true Shinboner!

In the blue corner....

He's the Scott Muller of AFL. Who cares if he tries if he can't get the pill or kick goals.

For me - he frustrates the hell out of me every week, was calling for his head earlier this year, but support him every week when he's out there on the track. Suppose many of us are just going to have to accept this is life as we know it for North supporters in the naughties.

And if we all had the same opinion on everything, this would be a very boring place.

 

[Gasometer]

Drew 'McCann' has improved out of sight since the Cats humiliation.

We won't go to that next level with him as second string ruck. He is just not up to it against quality mid fields and we saw that yday with the Crowes slicing us up when he was in the ruck.

His percentage footy around the ground has improved.

But his kicking for goal is the difference between him moving on from a good player to a champ. A guy of that height, reach and mobility should be getting an av of 2-3 goals a week...not behinds.

Twice he has the chance to make a difference in the last Q kicking for goal against the Weagles and the Crowes. Instead behinds.

He his getting back though which is a positive.

Gaso

 

[Z_K]

IMO, he should have played VFL footy after the Bulldogs game. He was horrible that night. Since, he has got better steadily.

Yes, he is a sub-standard centre bounce ruckman. But, he has more than matched his opponents in the past month around the ground. He is all heart, is contributing to the side in a positive way, and is not to blame that he is the best all round option as our no.1 ruckman ATM.

It's not like we are being belted in the clearances either. I literally don't understand the vitriolic bull******** being thrown his way and it is really ********ing me off. Blokes yesterday just flaming him for a lack of skill, and shutting right up when Simmo turns it over for the 13th time. Or Sansbury. Or Rawlings. Or Pratt. Or Wellsy. Or Stevens.

It lands in Drew's arms and he doesn't dissect their defence and he gets roundly abused.

 

[Ausgard]

I'm in the "He's not as bad as what you guys want to make out" camp

Something didn't work and some things did. Actually thought Petrie was better in the ruck than Hale to be honest

 

[Dingster]

It's not like we are being belted in the clearances either. I literally don't understand the vitriolic bull******** being thrown his way and it is really ********ing me off. Blokes yesterday just flaming him for a lack of skill, and shutting right up when Simmo turns it over for the 13th time. Or Sansbury. Or Rawlings. Or Pratt. Or Wellsy. Or Stevens.

There's probably reason for it and thats in the case of Simmo and Rawlings, they are both contributing so much to the side that people are more forgiving. Although there are comments to be found about their disposal too.

As for Pratt, Stevens, Sansbury, Picioane etc, they have all had time playing for Port. Whereas Drew can get beaten in his position and not have to worry about being dropped. If Laidley had given him a run for Port to smarten him up, it probably would have softened people's attitudes a bit.

The issue is do you drop Drew (and I agree that his performances save yesterday have been better over the past month) to give someone like H a run to help his developent and send a message saying play good footy or pay the price....or say he's the best player for the job atm and back him in? I say the former, but JYD supports the latter.

 

[Z_K]

There's probably reason for it and thats in the case of Simmo and Rawlings, they are both contributing so much to the side that people are more forgiving. Although there are comments to be found about their disposal too.

Fair enough. Maybe a poor example, but hell, he kicked the thing like Buckley up against Simmo and Rawlings yesterday.

As for Pratt, Stevens, Sansbury, Picioane etc, they have all had time playing for Port. Whereas Drew can get beaten in his position and not have to worry about being dropped. If Laidley had given him a run for Port to smarten him up, it probably would have softened people's attitudes a bit.

As I said, I think he should have played for Port at least once this year directly following the Footscray game. But, a case could be made that Laidley did the right thing as he has been much better since.

The issue is do you drop Drew (and I agree that his performances save yesterday have been better over the past month) to give someone like H a run to help his developent and send a message saying play good footy or pay the price....or say he's the best player for the job atm and back him in? I say the former, but JYD supports the latter.

Hamish just cannot play against sides with strong, experienced ruck combos. We have had Everitt, Biglands/Hudson in the past two weeks and cop Lade/Primus this week. Petrie is the only one who can physical cope with this. I really think people are struggling to see this. Hale has had a busted face, badly bruised ribs and a dislocated finger in the past 3 weeks. He needs to be protected. Drew is a big strong kid with a massive tank and has to be there to cope with all this to allow Hale to simply take the field.

It's not like he is playing footy in front of better options ATM. And IMO, he is not playing bad footy.

As I said, I literally don't understand the anger.

 

[Zondor]

Petrie had a reasonable game yesterday. Yes he aint no tap ruckman and Laidley knows that however look at his stats bar the hitouts as compared to Biglands and Hudson in the Hun. Petrie aint a champion but he is an honest contributor. 10 tackles shows that he has a great workrate.

Stats.
Petrie 9 Kicks 6 Handpasses 3 Marks
Hale 4 Kicks 2 Handpasses 1 Mark
Biglands 3 Kicks 2 Handpasses 2 Marks
Hudson 3 Kicks 4 Handpasses 3 Marks

 

[Moti]

He is doing OK but if he is in the 22 next year then we will still lack the team to take the Cup. He is a stop gap and I think ATM he is getting about as much out of what little he was born with and he should be commended for that. I don't care if he takes 10 tackles, he is a big guy and that should be cream not the whole pie.

 

[Woodson]

I'd like to thank Dingster & Mav for clearing my 'issues' with Petrie.


I'm with Gaso, improved so much over the past month and yesterday's effort around the ground was very good. I never said he was a ruckman. Mav agrees and that's life.

 

[Dingster]

Hamish just cannot play against sides with strong, experienced ruck combos. We have had Everitt, Biglands/Hudson in the past two weeks and cop Lade/Primus this week. Petrie is the only one who can physical cope with this. I really think people are struggling to see this. Hale has had a busted face, badly bruised ribs and a dislocated finger in the past 3 weeks. He needs to be protected. Drew is a big strong kid with a massive tank and has to be there to cope with all this to allow Hale to simply take the field.

Fair comment. I would have dropped him earlier in the season.

I do have a problem with his kicking technique though. Been on this issue for a while and it continues to haunt him/us. You can't drop the ball like that and expect it to go straight everytime.

 

[apollo_creed]

Drew Petrie -

Q - Asked if he liked playing forward or in the ruck?

Start of yr would of said forward line, now starting slowly to enjoy ruck more. Sounded pretty positive about playing in the ruck.

Q - GC asked him about any injuries he's had from earlier in the year?

Injured ankle, ten weeks down track still gets sore on occasions but it's alright now and he's been pretty much injury free this year.

Q - KG mentioned it was one of the best games he's seen, what was it like as a player?

Three quarter time huddle still belief, something grows on you @ the kangaroos, first four goals, then the crowd was really great got right into it.

Q - Was the Crows poor last quarters mentioned at 3/4 time?

Crows fadeout mentioned, players and coaches both made a note of it to the players at 3/4 time.

Q - Kangaroos wasted oppurtunities on Sunday?

Bad kicking 16.13, Adealdie kicked straight, kicking let us down, around the ground, decision making, missing targets, not as good as it has been in the last month.

Q - Big game this week?

Playing for top four spot, saw Josh Mahoney on news saying its a GF game, crucuial game, big game for us to give us a top four chance and double chance.

Q - Some question about Manuka?

Port have played there twice, freezing cold from what he hears, wide open ground, rock hard, both sides will be able to handle it pretty well.

Q - Port our bitches?

Had wood on power, been identified to playing group, they might be out-physched (or something like that), got one back on us earlier in the year though

Q - Something about the Kangaroos, never give up?

Had red, hot crack, weeks we get pumped up and talked up in the press we struggle, better off it we get written off, better for face off team being given underdog status for

a game. Seem to play better.

Q - Hows Sav Rocca going?

Sav on the bench fair bit on the weeked, still extremely valuable memeber of side, gets one of best defenders each week, best suited as anchor out of goalsquare.

Q - Sav and Thommo?

Earlier in the year Sav and Thommo struggled together, didn't deliver well ball to Thompson on the weeked, reduced forward leading space, ball use poor in first three

quarters, damage was done by then. Combo has been good over the last month.

Q - Enjoying Melbourne life?

Really likes Melbourne now, five years into it really likes it now. Didn't like it at first. City slicker from Ballarat, Can't wait for game on Sunday.

 

[Benno_900]

Thanks for that apollo_creed!

 

[RoyalBlue]

Did they not ask him: "So, Drew, would you consider coming to Port in exchange for Brogan?"

 

[scottywiper]

13 possessions, five marks, five tackles, a goal, 12 hit-outs.
Solid game.

 

[Bren]

best game this year

 

[Z_K]

He will still get bagged.

He got destroyed in the ruck, but was huge in some contests. If every bloke had his heart, it wouldn;t have required a comeback. We'd never lose.

Solid.

 

[Sexiano Ronaldo]

First contested mark in 2 years.

Stocks are rising.

 

[Thewlis Dish]

We didn't win a centre clearance for the first three and a half quarters of footy, and it was that reason alone that I was never completely confident we'd finish off that comeback.

However the guy has a heart the size of New York, and his workrate at ground level was superb today.

 

[Chadwiko]

Honestly happy to see him finding form, but it is long overdue and on his form, he should have been dropped in about round 7 and be made to earn his spot like any other player would have been.

But as i said, happy to have him with us now in good form

 

[Bren]

great pack mark in the square but i held my breath when he took the shot... did alot of 1%ers

 

[gokangas]

He can hold his head high - good solid game.

 

[viccles]

Played a great game I thought hopefully he can continue back into some form

 

[Firrito24]

great game drewie, one word of advice, get out of the habit of kicking torps into 50.

 

[Dingster]

However the guy has a heart the size of New York

Hopefully not the Knicks.

 

[Sexiano Ronaldo]

Hopefully not the Knicks.

The Mets?