The full-forward kicked just three goals in the first five rounds but has experiences a form revival of late.
“I am still not totally happy with my form, but I don’t think I will ever be totally satisfied,” Petrie told the Herald Sun's Glenn McFarlane.
“I was slow to start and probably how I didn’t really contribute in the first half of the season...So I owe this group and I am conscious of that going into each game now.”
Brad Scott revealed he had spoken to Petrie in the lead-up to the clash with the Hawks about leadership and impact on games.
“He sets an unbelievable example for our players, but I wanted him to stamp his authority and to take responsibility, as per last week,” Scott said.
“Should he have tried to pass against Brisbane last week or should he have kicked the goal? I think he should have kicked the goal.
“People have accused some of our players of being selfish in that regard, but I think that is what leadership is. When the responsibility is yours, and you have to stand up in the moment, you stand up. And I thought Drew Petrie stood up for us tonight.”
The 20-point win over Hawthorn means the Kangaroos have beaten all the top four sides, but Petrie said that would count for nothing without more consistency.
“It was a very good feeling, but there is no need to get carried away,” he said.
“That was the message after the game, and it will be the same for the rest of the year.
“Coming off a really good win, you can get fat heads a little bit. You don’t do that consciously because you never disrespect any sides, but it just happens.
“That probably happened in the second quarter up in Brisbane, we thought as long as we are close to our best, we would be OK.
“We haven’t been able to string together four quarter games together for consecutive weeks all year, and now we get the chance to do that next week.”
Next week’s match with bottom-placed St Kilda in Hobart looms as another danger game, particularly if North does't have 22 contributors on the day.
“We had a good contribution from a lot of blokes,” he said about the win over Hawthorn.
“Benny Jacobs took his chance. I’ve been impressed with the consistency of Luke McDonald in his first year; Lachie Hansen was outstanding and Sammy Wright was good.”
