Jarrad Waite will concentrate on his strength and conditioning in the next fortnight as he eyes a return against the Eagles.

The key-forward has missed North’s last two matches with a hip complaint, but is confident the club's bye break will aid his recovery.

“It was just trying to get through to the bye, but it wasn’t really recovering well enough week-to-week,” Waite told The Herald Sun’s Lauren Wood.

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

“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.”

Waite enjoyed an outstanding start to 2016, playing arguably the best football of his career in the early rounds.

The 33-year old said he is keen to play on next year, meaning it would be his 15th season in the AFL.

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

“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.”

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