Jared Petrenko and Shaun McKernan to train with St Kilda

FORMER Crows forwards Jared Petrenko and Shaun McKernan will join St Kilda’s pre-season on Monday morning in a bid to extend their careers.

17/10/2014 Jared Petrenko training hard with personal trainer Chris Massie to get back into an AFL side after being delisted from the Crows. Pic Mark Brake

FORMER Crows forwards Jared Petrenko and Shaun McKernan will join St Kilda’s pre-season on Monday morning in a bid to extend their careers at a new home.

Petrenko and McKernan, both 24, have been invited to train with the Saints for three weeks after talks between the club and the players’ management.

Manager Michael Doughty of Elite Sports Properties said both were desperate for a second chance.

“We’ve talked to a lot of clubs and hopefully they’re a good fit at St Kilda,’’ Doughty said. “This is a chance to show what they can do.”

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The beauty of training at a Melbourne club is that they will audition not only for St Kilda, because other clubs will have scouts watching.

Petrenko has been played in the backline, the midfield and in attack for the Crows, but it is in the latter position that he stands out for his wrecking-ball physical pressure and ability to lock in the ball.

He has trained under the guidance of former Blue and Crow Kris Massie since he was cut by new coach Phil Walsh from West Lakes and has shed 3kg over the past month in a bid to present a leaner physique for prospective clubs.

Shaun McKernan has been invited to train with St Kilda. Picture: Mark Brake

Petrenko played 76 games since making his debut in 2009 after being taken from Woodville-West Torrens in the SANFL but struggled with injuries over the past two seasons and spent much of this year in the Crows’ reserves.

His best season came in 2012, before which he had his last interrupted pre-season, and both he and Massie are confident there is still much improvement left in his game.

McKernan, a ruckman-forward who was taken from Calder in the Victorian under-18 competition made his debut in the same year as Petrenko and chalked up 34 games in his time with Adelaide.

McKernan struggled to fit into a side that had forwards such as Taylor Walker, Kurt Tippett, James Podsiadly and Josh Jenkins and never managed to cement a back-up ruck position behind Sam Jacobs.

He sought a trade back to Victoria last year but nothing eventuated during the exchange period and he ended up penning a one-year deal with the Crows for 2014.

The bottom line for the pair was this: Petrenko played five senior games this season, McKernan two.

Both Petrenko and McKernan are eligible to be taken as delisted free agents, but the more likely scenario is that they get picked up as rookies.

Originally published as Jared Petrenko and Shaun McKernan to train with St Kilda