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Purtell, Adrian |
  Adrian PURTELL [Player Stats] + Submit additional information or a correction to this player 
Purtell re-signs with Raiders Wed May 7, 2008 by Matthew O'Neill Source: www.raiders.com.au Try scoring outside back Adrian Purtell will remain a Raider for at least the next three seasons, after agreeing to a new deal today that will see him in the nation's capital until the end of 2011. Purtell said he was happy to have his future secure at the Raiders, and was excited about continuing a long career with the Green Machine despite attracting an offer from the Melbourne Storm. "Its good to get it out of the way and to stay at the club I've been at since I was 17 is very exciting," Purtell said. "It was an option (Melbourne) and I had to weigh up all my options and had to put it down on paper and there were positives for both, but at the end of the day this is my first club and this will take me to ten years here so I'm very excited about that." The prospect of playing centre full-time is something Purtell will look to do in the future with the Raiders, and he said he was looking forward to working on his own form and under next years Coach David Furner to achieve this goal. "There's no guarantee of what position you play it's up to your form but I'd like to be seen as a centre, it's my own form I have to look after and the rest will look after itself," he said. "I've played under Dave in reserve grade a couple of years ago and I'm excited to have him as our new Coach. With the Raiders 2009 squad starting to take shape Purtell said the talent at the Raiders was certainly on the up, and he was happy to have his future secured. "With our team we have Todd (Carney) here for a few more years and Joel (Monaghan) next year as well so I think only good things can happen to the team," he said. "I'm 24 now and I'm looking at securing my future, to sign here for three years is a great show of faith by the club and hopefully I can repay that with some good form on the field." Raiders CEO Don Furner said Purtell's signing was a huge boost for the club, and also proved that the Raiders are a team that will be competitive for the years to come. "It's a great sign of faith by Adrian and I'm glad he stuck with us, he gets on with all the boys here and I'm really glad he stayed," Furner said. "Sometimes we're out of sight out of mind here but he scores a few tries and comes to the attention of other clubs and they show interest in him, and it's good for us because it shows we have good players here and Adrian is one of them." Purtell made his debut for the Raiders in 2006 and has played 39 matches for the Green Machine scoring 18 tries, with a strike rate of almost a try every second game. News Source: www.raiders.com.au All clear for Raiders Purtell Fri December 7, 2007 Source: www.raiders.com.au Canberra Raiders rising star Adrian Purtell has been given the all clear by to return to full contact training with the Green Machine, after receiving the all clear from his specialist today. The 2006 Raiders rookie of the year has been sidelined since round 11 last season, after he was diagnosed with Deep Vein Thrombosis in his leg. The condition forced Purtell to take medication to thin his blood to reduce the size of the blood clot in his leg, keeping him away from any physical contact. But after a long and indecisive six months Purtell is now ready to make his return to the full time training squad, after receiving the all clear from his specialist to resume contact training. Purtell said it's a decision he wasn't expecting, but is one that he will be making sure he doesn't take for granted. "I went in there thinking I would have to stay on the medication for another three months, but he's told me I'm allowed to stop taking the medicine and I'll be back into training next week," Purtell said. "My own opinion when I received the ultrasound and saw the clot was still in there, the alarm bells started ringing, but once I saw the specialist he said the high risk was over now and I'm allowed to return to training." Purtell said his condition has not fully cleared up, but it's understood the risk of further damage is low, and he is confident he will be ready to continue his career. "I will take a week off training just to make sure that my blood is back to the right thickness, but after that I'll commence full contact training," he said. "The specialist said sometimes this type of clot can hang around, but once it's below the knee the high risk element goes." With trial matches set down for late February and early March Purtell is keen to get him self into the frame for selection in round one, and will make sure he catches up with the rest of the squad over the remainder of the pre-season "My goal has always been to be ready for round one, and hopefully I can be ready for the trial," he said. "I've been doing weights and running up until now, so it will be good to get some contact work in." Purtell said not knowing his future had forced a range of emotions over the past six months, but thanked everyone for their support over this time. "Its been a long six months because its been a slow process and I wasn't sure what was happening, and a thousand things went through my mind thinking that my career may be over and what I would do outside footy, so it's a big relief off my shoulders," he said. "The clubs been very helpful through all this, last season they put about 10 of us through a course to become personal trainers, and this year we're doing a business course, and I maybe doing a real estate course as well. Even if I couldn't have continued playing footy at least I would have had a few options." Raiders Coach Neil Henry said Purtell's return to full time training would bolster the prospects in their backline for season 2008, and would welcome his return to the fulltime squad in the pre-season. "Its fantastic news for the club to have him back on board," Henry said. "We feared the worst and thought he may be out for another three months, which would put him out for the start of the season, but to hear this today is great news." News sent by: www.raiders.com.au
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