Former Adelaide forward Ian Perrie spent a neat 10 years playing for the Crows.

The East Perth product was drafted at the end of 1997 and joined the Premiers for the ‘98 season, booting 129 goals in 116 games.

After a decade at West Lakes, Perrie pulled up stumps for AFL football and plied his trade in the lower divisions of football.

“I played at Sturt for a year, then I played for Pulteney for four years, and then went down to Encounter Bay with Welshy (Scott Welsh),” Perrie said.

“After that, me and Welshy played for Padthaway for a year. 

“Welshy got approached and asked if I wanted to come down. Padthaway needed a bit of help, a bit like Encounter Bay, they were coming up but needed some leadership. 

“Welshy asked me, said it was the same sort of setup as Encounter, then we went down there and won a flag.”

After 20 years in SA, Perrie moved home with his family to Perth and set up shop as a registered builder.

“We came back around three years ago,” Perrie said.

“It wasn’t always the plan, but we’d been in Adelaide for 20 years and I left Perth when I was 18.

“We have a young family, it’s a bit warmer over here and the timing was right for schools as well.”

He still finds time for football, with the Western Whalers in Masters football.

“I’ve been through the whole spectrum of footy from juniors, to the elite level, to state competitions all the way to the Western Whalers,” Perrie said.

“It’s been good playing for the Whalers.”

But does he miss playing AFL? Not really.

“By the time I finished, I’d had enough,” he said.

“I wasn’t getting paid a huge amount and wasn’t a walk-up start each week.

“When you’re living on a knife’s edge for 10 year… then I hurt my knee and was trying to get back in the team.

“You just don’t have that motivation after a while… and you really need it when you’re in and out of the side.”

Apart from watching the odd professional game on television, Perrie is more or less removed from his life as an AFL player.

He does, however, still have time for a phone call to his previous teammates Rhett Biglands and Robert Shirley “every once in a while”.

Ahead of the AFL’s hopeful return next month, Perrie had a simple message for players struggling during the break.

“The sun always rises, it will come out,” he said.

“It will be tough for everyone in their own way, just make sure you reach out and chat to someone… don’t be shy.

“The whole of the Australian public is hanging out for a game of footy, everyone is waiting to see you boys get back out there.”