Adrian Purtell

Adrian Purtell (born 31 January 1985) is an Australian rugby league footballer for the Bradford Bulls. He previously played with the Canberra Raiders and Penrith Panthers. His usual position is centre.

Career

Purtell played junior rugby league with Albury Rams and Lavington Panthers. He made his debut for the Canberra Raiders in Round 1 2006 against the Manly Sea Eagles. In 2006 he was crowned the club's Rookie of the Year. During the season, he also re-signed with the club until the end of 2008.

In round 6 of 2007 Purtell was shifted from the wing to the centres. Purtell took this opportunity with both hands, scoring two tries in his first match in the new position and showing consistent form after that match.

Purtell was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in the middle of 2007. He missed the rest of the season as a result. This came at a cruel time for Purtell as he had only just cemented a spot in the centres. In his last game of 2007 he scored 3 tries against the St George Illawarra Dragons, including a 90-metre solo effort.