Petrie was born in Dundee, and began his career with Scottish side Forfar Athletic, before moving to Dunfermline in 1993.
Spending much of his Dunfermline career in left midfield, he managed a goal ratio of one every six games during his ten years there.
Petrie then came back to Australia with Blacktown City Demons, appearing alongside fellow Mariners Ian Ferguson and John Crawley.
He signed for the Central Coast Mariners for the inaugural A-League season, coming in for a coaching role, but an injury crisis meant Petrie would become a registered player.
He ended up sharing the Golden Boot with Alex Brosque, Bobby Despotovski and Archie Thompson, scoring eight goals in the 2005–06 season.