Late in last week’s AFL elimination final, Frank The Tank was continuing to show a lack of September firepower.

Veteran North Melbourne key forward Drew Petrie had only kicked five goals in nearly eight finals and was having a quiet night.

Had North lost to Essendon, Petrie would have been under an uncomfortable spotlight.

It later emerged that coach Brad Scott had called on Petrie at halftime to lift.

And rally he did, kicking the last two goals of the match as the Kangaroos won by that margin.

He marked the first of those crucial goals by comically pumping his arms, emulating Will Ferrell’s character Frank The Tank from the comedy movie Old School.

Pumped by his late elimination final heroics, Petrie wasted no time imposing himself on Friday’s semi-final against Geelong.

With the scores a goal apiece in the sixth minute, Petrie laid a crunching tackle on Cats veteran Corey Enright and earned a free kick for holding the ball.

He kicked North’s second goals to confirm they had the early advantage.

Petrie also marked and goalled midway through the first quarter as the ‘Roos broke out to a five-goal lead.

But Geelong rallied late in the term and the margin at the first break was only 12 points.

Petrie snapped a steadying goal early in the second quarter.

He laid another superb tackle on Jackson Thurlow in the third term, earning him another free and his fourth goal.

When North broke out to a 32-point lead midway through the last term, Petrie and his team-mates looked home.

Then Petrie’s opposite number, Cats spearhead Tom Hawkins, led their unlikely comeback.

After only kicking a goal last week in the qualifying final loss to Hawthorn, Hawkins kicked three for the last term and five for the match.

But just when it looked like the Cats could send the match into overtime by tying the scores, Todd Goldstein took a game-saving mark in the last minute.

And Frank The Tank keeps rumbling through this September.