Talented local junior starting to live up to lofty expectations

Long-touted as a player of the future at Fretwell Park, a key-position prospect looks to be coming of age.

Fitzroy Greenwool, Jasper Kneebone and Karl Petri. PHOTO: BRENDAN RADKE.

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Long-touted as a player of the future at Fretwell Park, key-position prospect Karl Petri looks to be coming of age.

Still only 19 years of age, Petri has been around South Cairns’ senior side for some time now, featuring in 11 reserves games in 2018 as well as sneaking in for a few seniors games since, as well.

Action from the AFL Cairns match between the Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs and the South Cairns Cutters, held at Crathern Park, Trinity Beach. Souths' Karl Petri looks to offload. Picture: BRENDAN RADKE

The Cairns Lions under-17 representative and former Gold Coast Suns Academy member has always looked the part, much more physically imposing than his junior opponents but he is now doing it against the big boys regularly.

He has been in Souths’ best in each of their opening two wins and coach John Tootell is happy with his development.

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“He has been good the last two weeks, I have thought,” Tootell said.

Jasper Kneebone, Karl Petri and Fitzroy Greenwool. PHOTO: BRENDAN RADKE.

“He played a lot of his junior footy up forward but he reads the ball really well so we thought we would give him a fair crack across the halfback line.

“He is pretty good overhead and does some silly things sometimes, but he is a good kid.

“He has a good future and as a club we need to make sure we get around him and teach him.”

Petri played in a reserves premiership as a teenager and in an experienced South Cairns side in 2020, could become an X-factor.

“He has played colts since he was 15, he is a big kid and has all the skills,” Tootell said.

“He has had a taste of senior footy over the years, with a few senior heads around him now, that will do it well for him.”

South Cairns have the Round 3 bye before a grand final rematch in a fortnight.

Originally published as Talented local junior starting to live up to lofty expectations