North Melbourne forward Jarrad Waite wants to sign a new contract with the Kangaroos

NORTH Melbourne forward Jarrad Waite has confirmed that he wants to play on next season, but he admits talks are yet to reach a crescendo.

Jarrad Waite. Picture: Getty Images

NORTH Melbourne forward Jarrad Waite has confirmed that he wants to play on next season, but he admits talks are yet to reach a crescendo.

The 33-year-old has missed the Kangaroos’ last two games with a hip strain but is confident he won’t be hampered in the second half of the season.

Having crossed from Carlton at the end of 2014 on a two-year deal, Waite’s contract is set to end at the end of this season, but he wants to play on into a 15th AFL season.

“I’m really keen to go on next year and if the club is, we’ll no doubt come to an agreement,” Waite told the Herald Sun.

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“Whenever it happens, it happens. I’m not focusing on it.

“I also know that I’m obviously getting older, but I feel like my best footy is still contributing to the team and I feel very confident that the deal will get done.”

Waite said the injury-prevention and management methods at the Roos put him in prime position to play on — as does being around the likes of Brent Harvey (35) and Drew Petrie (33) who continue to defy age.

“It does help,” he told the Herald Sun during a visit to Edgar’s Mission Farm Sanctuary.

Jarrad Waite at Edgar’s Mission Farm Sanctuary. Picture: Mark Stewart

“The way that most clubs are rehab-wise and the way they look after players a lot more than they ever have with injuries (is great) and surgeries are so much easier to recover from these days.

“In the next few years there’ll be a lot more players playing further past 30 (years of age). It’s good that the clubs still have faith in the older players.”

The forward was held goalless for three matches before he was ruled out with the hip complaint for the team’s Round 14 and 15 losses.

But he intends to spend the next fortnight doing strength and conditioning and is adamant that he will return for a big second half of the season when North Melbourne plays West Coast in Round 16.

“It was just trying to get through to the bye, but it wasn’t really recovering well enough week-to-week,” he said.

“We sat down and said ‘let’s get it 100 per cent right for the second half of the season’.

Jarrad Waite celebrates a goal earlier in the season. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

“I don’t want to be worrying about it for the second half of the year and chasing our tails.

“Now, with the extended break, we basically get two weeks off from playing so it’ll give me a lot of time to get a lot more strength back into it and be able to do some really good conditioning and be right to go for West Coast (in Round 16).

“We’re in a really good position with the team being at 10-4 and obviously I would have liked to have been out there the last couple of weeks but I want to get things 100 per cent right for the second half of the season and not have to worry about it.”

Originally published as North Melbourne forward Jarrad Waite wants to sign a new contract with the Kangaroos