NORTH Melbourne skipper Andrew Swallow has backed Drew Petrie to hold his spot for the Roos' elimination final against Adelaide despite the veteran spearhead's patchy recent form and the possible return of Jarrad Waite from injury.

Petrie had his quietest game in a difficult 2016 season against Greater Western Sydney last Saturday night, held to just four possessions.

It was the fourth time in the final eight games of the home and away season that Petrie, 33, had been held goalless.

With Waite hopeful of returning from a hip injury against the Crows next Saturday night, there has been speculation Petrie, and not his younger forward-line colleague Majak Daw, could be the player to make way for Waite if he returns.

But Swallow told reporters on Thursday he expected Petrie to play against the Crows.

"I think (with) Drewy's experience it would be hard to go into a game without him," Swallow said.

"He's been there for a long time and when he's not marking the footy at least he's chasing, he's tackling and we saw him able to turn his form around this year and play some really good footy.

"Last week he probably wasn't at his best but I'm really confident (in him).

"He's a competitive bloke, you saw him out there just before doing extra laps, that's the sort of bloke he is. So we're confident that he'll be there and he'll give us a really strong target."

If Petrie is omitted for the elimination final and North lose to the Crows, the 300-gamer's career at the club will be over given the Roos informed him last week he won't be offered a contract for 2017. 

Swallow said sentiment would not come into the match committee's selection deliberations but again backed Petrie to hold his spot on merit.

"There will be some tough decisions, I've got no idea what the match committee are thinking, but I'd be pretty confident that we'll see him there," the Roos skipper said. 

Swallow said last Wednesday's announcement that Petrie and fellow veterans Brent Harvey, Michael Firrito and Nick Dal Santo would finish up at the club at the end of this season had not come as a complete surprise.

"We all knew there were going to be a number of players who were going to be (the subject of) some difficult decisions. The only shock was the timing and I can understand now why it was done [but] I suppose we walked into a meeting and weren't expecting that to take place," Swallow said.

"But obviously the boys wanted to know and credit to the club that they were honest and told them what was hard for them to hear, but told them the truth."

Swallow said it had taken some time for North's players to take in the magnitude of the announcement on the four veterans' futures and acknowledged there had been a "different feeling" heading into last round's game against Greater Western Sydney. 

But Swallow said the players had "dealt" with the news now and were ready to send the four out in style. 

"We just want to go out there and put some good performances on for the guys because they have been legends of our club and we want to do the right thing for them," he said.

The Roos announced on Thursday that Mazda would be naming rights partner for this year's North Melbourne Grand Final Breakfast, which will be the 50th the club has run.