MELBOURNE has re-signed Colin Garland, Ricky Petterd and Jared Rivers to new two-year deals, keeping the trio at the club until at least the end of 2012.
The signing of Petterd is particularly pertinent, considering he hails from Broadbeach and could have been a Gold Coast prospect for its inaugural AFL season in 2011.
New deals for Garland and Rivers are also positive results for the duo, after they battled significant injuries in recent years.
Petterd, who has also had his share of setbacks and is sidelined for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, said he was delighted to remain in the red and blue.
“I’m pretty stoked actually,” the soon to be 22-year-old told melbournefc.com.au
“We got the deal done at the start of this week and the manager gave me the call and I was just pumped.”
For Garland, it was somewhat of an emotional signing, after he endured a tough 2009, due to a serious foot stress fracture.
“It means a lot. I love the club … because I believe where the club’s going and I feel we’ve got a great young bunch of players and the club’s just full of great people. I had a few setbacks along the way, but it’s been good being back this year,” he said.
“I’m just thankful the club has showed a bit of faith in me. The other day, I found out there was an article about [former Geelong player] Matthew Egan’s injury and how he didn’t come back.
“But the club was really good and they told me they’d give me as much time as I needed. I couldn’t really do much of the pre-season at all. I’m starting to feel back to normal out there at the moment, but it’s been a long process.”
Despite being a regular this year, the 22-year-old Tasmanian needs to keep managing his foot carefully.
“It’s week-to-week, but it’s getting a bit easier and it’ll never be something that I’ll be able to forget about - it’s almost something I’ll have to be wary about. But at the moment I’ve had no niggles,” Garland said.
Rivers, who played his 100th AFL match against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium last round, was also rapt to put pen to paper.
“I’ve worked pretty hard over the past few years to get myself right and I know what to do now with my body and recovery, so that’s very important,” Rivers said.
“I look forward to playing the rest of this year - and two full years after that - to really get this club, where it should be, up the top.”
After playing just nine matches in 2007-08, Rivers believes he is now over the worst of his injuries.
“Last year was a lot better. I played 20 games and pretty much had a full year. This year I had a full pre-season, so I think the injuries are past me,” he said.
Rivers has also enjoyed taking on greater responsibilities and being part of the leadership group in 2010.
“Being 25 [years old] and one of the oldest [players] at the club is a bit frightening, but I love it. I enjoy hanging around the young boys,” he said.
“They work really hard and it makes our job as leaders a lot easier, so they’ve been great.”
Career snapshot
The signing of Petterd is particularly pertinent, considering he hails from Broadbeach and could have been a Gold Coast prospect for its inaugural AFL season in 2011.
New deals for Garland and Rivers are also positive results for the duo, after they battled significant injuries in recent years.
Petterd, who has also had his share of setbacks and is sidelined for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, said he was delighted to remain in the red and blue.
“I’m pretty stoked actually,” the soon to be 22-year-old told melbournefc.com.au
“We got the deal done at the start of this week and the manager gave me the call and I was just pumped.”
For Garland, it was somewhat of an emotional signing, after he endured a tough 2009, due to a serious foot stress fracture.
“It means a lot. I love the club … because I believe where the club’s going and I feel we’ve got a great young bunch of players and the club’s just full of great people. I had a few setbacks along the way, but it’s been good being back this year,” he said.
“I’m just thankful the club has showed a bit of faith in me. The other day, I found out there was an article about [former Geelong player] Matthew Egan’s injury and how he didn’t come back.
“But the club was really good and they told me they’d give me as much time as I needed. I couldn’t really do much of the pre-season at all. I’m starting to feel back to normal out there at the moment, but it’s been a long process.”
Despite being a regular this year, the 22-year-old Tasmanian needs to keep managing his foot carefully.
“It’s week-to-week, but it’s getting a bit easier and it’ll never be something that I’ll be able to forget about - it’s almost something I’ll have to be wary about. But at the moment I’ve had no niggles,” Garland said.
Rivers, who played his 100th AFL match against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium last round, was also rapt to put pen to paper.
“I’ve worked pretty hard over the past few years to get myself right and I know what to do now with my body and recovery, so that’s very important,” Rivers said.
“I look forward to playing the rest of this year - and two full years after that - to really get this club, where it should be, up the top.”
After playing just nine matches in 2007-08, Rivers believes he is now over the worst of his injuries.
“Last year was a lot better. I played 20 games and pretty much had a full year. This year I had a full pre-season, so I think the injuries are past me,” he said.
Rivers has also enjoyed taking on greater responsibilities and being part of the leadership group in 2010.
“Being 25 [years old] and one of the oldest [players] at the club is a bit frightening, but I love it. I enjoy hanging around the young boys,” he said.
“They work really hard and it makes our job as leaders a lot easier, so they’ve been great.”
Career snapshot
Colin Garland
Born: April 28, 1988
Debut: 2007
Recruited from: North Hobart/Tasmania U18s/Tasmania VFL
Matches: 31
Goals: 3
Ricky Petterd
Ricky Petterd
Born: July 24, 1988
Debut: 2007
Recruited from: Broadbeach (Qld)
Matches: 35
Goals: 37
Jared Rivers
Jared Rivers
Born: October 18, 1984
Debut: 2003
Recruited from: North Adelaide (SA)
Matches: 100
Goals: 4
