Premiership player calls for teams to sign retired Roo

It isn’t unheard of for AFL players to come out of retirement.

It is unusual though, for a 40-year-old premiership player to ponder a return to the league.

Brent Harvey was delisted by North Melbourne, where he had played for 20 years, at the end of the 2016 season.

He has since played in the Northern Football League for North Heidelberg, where he kicked 61 goals last year.

But some in the AFL world believe Harvey still has what it takes to perform at the top level – including Port Adelaide premiership player Kane Cornes.

The midfielder turned media commentator said he would be “shocked” if Harvey wasn’t still in the best 400 players in the country.

“Would a sneaky phone call to Boomer Harvey be worthwhile?” Cornes posited on SEN radio.

“It may be a playing and coaching role playing 12 to 15 games or maybe all of them in the forward line.

“Clearly, he can still cope with the rigours of playing AFL.

“If he’s not in the best 800 footballers in the country, I’d be shocked. I reckon he’s still in the best 400.”

Hawthorn and Carlton top the list of ideal destinations for Harvey, Cornes said, should he wish to make a return to the league.

New rules introduced for the 2019 season allow teams to sign players to a list spot as late as March 15.

North Melbourne’s decision not to re-sign the fan-favourite veteran prompted outrage at the time.

Fans organised a petition to convince the club to re-sign the then 38-year old, and protested at games after the decision was announced.

Harvey is the AFL’s all-time games record holder, having surpassed the previous holder of the title, Michael Tuck during his final season in 2016.

The speedy veteran is set to take control as coach of North Heidelberg this upcoming season if he does not return to the AFL.