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An era ends: Harvey, Petrie, Firrito and Dal Santo denied new contracts

Expert
24th August, 2016
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The Kangaroos miised an open goal by not offering Brent Harvey a contract for 2017. (AAP Image/Julian Smith)
Expert
24th August, 2016
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2271 Reads

North Melbourne will not offer a new contract to four of its most established veteran players for the 2017 season, announcing that 2016 would be the last year on the list for Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie, Michael Firrito and Nick Dal Santo.

Combined, they represent more than 1300 games of AFL experience.

All had indicated an interest in playing on in 2017, but the club announced on Wednesday that it had made “the difficult decision” not to offer them new contracts.

For Harvey to depart is by far the most surprising of the four, as his form this season has been of a high quality – just last week he had 32 disposals and kicked three goals against the Sydney Swans, underlining the value he still holds.

In what will surely be one of the most memorable moments of the decade, Harvey broke the games record earlier this year, surpassing Michael Tuck’s record of 426 games. Harvey has currently played 430 AFL games, with at least two more left, depending on results.

It is less surprising to see the likes of Petrie, Firrito, and Dal Santo moved on. While they have all be in solid enough form in 2016, their form hasn’t been so high as to justify a contract extension given their advanced age.

North Melbourne has been one of the oldest teams in the league for several years now and it has long been forecast from those outside the club that the time to move on older players and seek to regenerate, refresh and rebuild was at hand.

Plus there is the clear need to plan for the future of the club by giving younger players the senior opportunities they crave. In his press conference, Brad Scott said: “If we continued to play our senior players, we’d lose them in a year and we’d lose our younger guys because of a lack of opportunity.”

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On a rational, emotionless level, it is possible to make some sense of the decision. On the irrational, romantic level, I can tell you that as a North Melbourne fan it is absolutely tearing my heart out. These words were written with tears in my eyes.

Nick Dal Santo has been with us for only a few years, but every game has been a pleasure to watch. More than anything I will remember the way he has lifted for big games in finals, and the genuine pleasure and joy he has taken in being a North Melbourne player.

Michael Firrito is one of those heart-and-soul players who can define a club. I don’t think fans of any of the other seventeen clubs like him – or even know who he is – but his hard work and determination to carve out a successful niche in the team for such a long period of time has been remarkable. And if there’s a better sight on earth than watching him give an opposition forward a hard time, I don’t know what it is.

Drew Petrie is as North Melbourne as North Melbourne gets. Humble. Unassuming. Underrated. And yet also elite, and legendary. His five last-quarter goals to sink Richmond in 2012. His seven-goal bag in Glenn Archer’s 300th. His two snaps to seal the game against Essendon in 2014. These are moments I’ll tell my grandkids about. But more than that I’ll tell them about a player who did the jumper proud every week, rain or shine.

And Boomer. Boomer isn’t just a North Melbourne player. Boomer is North Melbourne. He’s been my favourite player for as long as I can remember and I can’t imagine there ever being another who could overtake him in that regard. Words can’t say how much I have loved this man throughout these past two decades. I could write about him for weeks. But my article written on the eve of his milestone game, talking about my favourite memory of him, says it all.

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There will be a lot of time in the months and years to come for us to ask if this was the right call, and if it was the right call, was it handled in the right way.

There will be time for us to wonder if they might play on elsewhere. There will be time to be sad. There will be time to be angry. There will be time to be disappointed.

And there will be time to get excited about the future, and about the young players who will now get their chances to show us what they can do – yes, there will be plenty of time for that.

For now, though, in these last few weeks of what have been four magnificent careers, I am going to love every minute of what we have left.

Because the time for us to do that is about to run out.

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