Humble, modest, selfless; words that come to mind when you think about Drew Petrie, both on and off the field.
Even as he celebrates a magical milestone, playing game 300 this week, the North veteran is quick to praise others; those who’ve been there for him through the journey.
“To me, it means so many people have supported me along the way, and I have reflected on that this week more than just me making 300 games,” Petrie said on Tuesday.
“Thinking about all those people who helped me and thinking back to the 2000 draft when I was picked up. I remember the players who initially helped me and the players I looked up to.
“A couple that stand out are Brent Harvey, Glenn Archer, Leigh Colbert, John Blakey, David King was the first bloke to come up and shake my hand, Corey McKernan was the first bloke I had a partner stretch with out on the field. Those memories have come flooding back so far this week.”
While he’ll never talk up his own achievements, playing 300 games is quite simply an amazing feat.
Just four Kangaroos have so far reached the mark in the club’s illustrious history, spanning more than 90 years in the VFL/AFL.
Petrie will become the fifth when he runs out onto Etihad Stadium against St Kilda on Sunday.
But personal milestones pale in comparison to a dream that could still come to fruition.
“Playing in a premiership is what drives me still,” Petrie said.
“The last two years have been good, this year has been OK so far, but ... we are not getting carried away with things just yet.
“They (the current squad) are the best group of players I’ve played with performance-wise, having played in the 2014 and last year’s prelim as well.
“The last time we played in a preliminary prior to this was 2007, and the lead up to that, the year before was ordinary and the year after that we bombed out in week one of the finals.
“This is the most consistent group with the most potential to take this group somewhere pretty special.”
Petrie boasts quite the AFL CV; he was an All-Australian in 2011, and represented Australia in 2008.
He has been the club’s leading goal-kicking in five separate seasons, and sits seventh all-time for goals at North Melbourne.
Second behind only Wayne Carey for marks at the club, he’s also taken more grabs inside 50 than any other Kangaroo.
While he’ll play down the milestone, Petrie’s standing as one of the club’s best players in the modern era is clear.
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