DISCARDED North Melbourne forward Drew Petrie is adamant he's got plenty more to give on the AFL stage, saying he hasn't arrived at West Coast to be a reserves player.
Petrie played 316 games and booted 428 goals for the Kangaroos before being axed as part of the club's controversial cull at the end of last season.
The Eagles handed the 34-year-old a lifeline via Monday's NAB AFL Rookie Draft, with Petrie's arrival bolstering West Coast's ruck stocks while Nic Naitanui recovers from a knee reconstruction.
Former Cats ruckman Nathan Vardy was also added to West Coast's list, joining Scott Lycett and Jonathan Giles as ruck options.
Petrie's form dropped off noticeably last season, with the 197cm forward managing just 27 goals in 23 games.
It raised concerns about what he can produce at West Coast.
But the 2011 All Australian believes he can regain his best playing a split forward/ruck role.
"If it was purely just going to be a forward position over here, I doubt I would have come," Petrie said.
"But the ruck is an element and something that I think will help me become a good player this year.
"I'm a proud person and a competitive person. My aim is to play a lot of senior games here, but I've got to compete for that spot.
"Last year I played every game and trained every session, so my body is still very resilient."
West Coast produced the shock of the trade period when it snared Hawthorn champion Sam Mitchell.
Mitchell and Petrie are both 34 years old.
But Petrie hopes the AFL landscape is slowly starting to treasure older players again.
"Certainly five years ago, as soon as you got to 28, you started on one-year contracts," Petrie said.
"And 30 was a horrible number in football.
"I've just turned 34, and still got the fire, the want, the desire, and still believe I've got the ability to play."
Brent Harvey, Nick Dal Santo, and Michael Firrito were other veterans axed by the Kangaroos last season.
Petrie said he understood the decision, but expressed surprise that Harvey was part of the cull.
He said his own axing affected him deeply in his last two games for the Kangaroos, where he tallied a combined 10 possessions and no goals.
West Coast will feel like a home away from home for Petrie given the club's distinct North Melbourne flavour.
Coach Adam Simpson and his assistant Brady Rawlings were champion players at the Kangaroos, while defence coach Daniel Pratt also played for North Melbourne.
Petrie said Simpson and Rawlings played crucial roles in convincing him to join West Coast.
"I know they wouldn't throw me under the bus," he said.
