WEST Coast is open to the prospect of former Kangaroo Drew Petrie playing on in 2018, however no decision on his future is expected to be made until late in the season.
Petrie joined the club as a rookie late last year following a 316-game career with North Melbourne and has played 10 games in an excellent first season with the Eagles.
He started slowly, missing seven weeks after playing most of round one with a fractured hand suffered in the opening quarter, but returned to the senior side in round 10.
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The 34-year-old has shown strong form, and received AFLCA votes once again on Sunday for his performance against the Brisbane Lions, adding to the votes he received for his effort in round 14 against Melbourne.
His contribution as a ruck/forward has been vital with Nic Naitanui unavailable due to injury, Scott Lycett playing just one game and Josh Kennedy missing five games with injury.
Petrie's manager Shane Casley from TLA Australia is not expected to return from overseas for a couple of weeks, but he confirmed to AFL.com.au that there had been some discussion about what role Petrie might play next season.
"All those things are up in the air and it really just depends on how the next three or four weeks pan out and what their ruck stocks look like for next year," Casley said.
"We'll wait until I get back [and then we will have] better idea about how he is feeling and then the club will probably have a better idea as to what their list will look like next year as well."
Naitanui has not ruled out playing in 2017 if the Eagles go deep into the finals, but he is certain to return from his knee reconstruction next season while Lycett's injury-interrupted year is over after the club revealed this week he needs further shoulder surgery having battled a PCL injury at the end of last season.
Nathan Vardy has held down the ruck spot for most of the year while Petrie has been praised for his willingness to do whatever job has been thrown his way, with Jonathan Giles playing in the WAFL.
In the past week, the Eagles have announced the retirement of two players with popular club champion and Brownlow Medal winner Matt Priddis deciding to retire at the end of the season despite being contracted for 2018.
On Wednesday, four-time Hawthorn premiership player Sam Mitchell announced he was also hanging up the boots at season's end to begin a full-time coaching role with the Eagles.
West Coast has begun to indicate its list is in transition, but it remains in contention for a finals spot in 2017.
