North Melbourne captain Andrew Swallow has come out on the front foot in defence of Drew Petrie with the full-forward under-fire for a slow start to the year.

Swallow was quick to point out Petrie does a lot on the field that goes unnoticed in a column for the AFL Players website.

“We rate him as having been one of our most important players this season. He is not only our vice-captain, and stand in skipper, but also the general of the forward line. Our coach, Brad Scott has said publicly that there is no better tall forward in the game than Drew in being able to tackle and chase, and I whole-heartedly agree.

“Let’s also not forget that nowadays Drew is outmanned in almost every game he plays. The first call for most opposition teams is to get a spare defender back to stop Drew from being able to run and jump at the footy. It’s a testament to the competitor that Drewy is, that he hardly ever gets outmarked in a two-on-one contest, bringing the ball to ground and creating opportunities for our small forwards and midfielders.”

As Petrie became just the ninth Kangaroo to reach the 250-game milestone, the captain summed up all his positive attributes.

“I have never heard anyone say a bad word about Drew,” Swallow wrote.

“He will always be the last person out at a family day signing autographs and chatting to supporters. So loved is the big fella that one particular fan got the number plates ‘DREW20’.

“‘Boomer’ Harvey reckons Drew can never make up his mind, as he’d rather sit on the fence than disappoint or upset anyone. That’s just the way Drew is.”

In his career, Petrie has played all over the ground. From a key defender to a ruckman and now the key position forward, his versatility has proved an asset at all times.

However it’s as Petrie’s moved forward in recent years that he’s had more noticeable magical moments.

“I remember two particular games fondly – both played at the home of footy, the MCG,” Swallow said.

“The first was in Glenn Archer’s 300th against the Western Bulldogs in 2007. Drew kicked seven goals for the game, but six of them came in the first quarter to pretty much seal the win.

“I was in my second year of footy and marvelled at a bloke who, at almost 200cm, was launching himself at the footy one moment and then reaching down and picking it up off the turf and snapping goals the next. His athleticism and work rate for a big fella is second to none.

“The second game I remember was against the Tigers in 2012. We were battling to get on top of Richmond before Drew strolled out in the last quarter and kicked a lazy five goals to single-handedly get us across the line.

“Everything we kicked to him he just clunked in that quarter. I’m sure Alex Rance, who for the first three quarters had done a pretty good job on Drew, would have felt helpless as Drew made the impossible look easy.”

The role of the key forward is much tougher in modern footy with higher numbers behind the ball. Despite a low amount of goals so far in 2014, Swallow was at pains to point out what makes Petrie such a valued player at Arden Street.

“I would like to say a massive congratulations to Drew on 250 games; it’s an incredible milestone that he should be extremely proud of. He is a family man and a wonderful leader around the club. I look forward to playing many more years with him as we continue our quest to hold the elusive cup up together one day.”