Ahead of his 50^th game for North, Jarrad Waite is excited to reach his first significant milestone in the royal blue and white stripes. 

“It’s always good to play milestone games,” Waite told North Media. 

“I remember playing my first 50 games and I was pretty excited, and I am excited to have done that for North. 

“It’s one of those things that you can look back on and been proud of.”

Rewind four years ago, and Waite was unsure if he had one game left, let alone 50.

“When you get to a certain age you think that every year potentially could be your last,” Waite said. 

After reaching the end of his contract at Carlton as a 31-year-old in 2014, Waite signed a two-year deal with the Kangaroos. 

“When I came here I wasn’t sure how long I’d last after I originally signed on with that two-year deal,” he said. 

Head coach Brad Scott was a major key in recruiting the key-forward, and it appears that the relationship the two share has been a major reason for Waite’s consistency. 

“When I sat down and spoke to Brad and the match committee at those times they were really positive, and that gave me a lot of confidence,” Waite said. 

“I’d say that I have been more consistent here than previously. The way that Brad coaches really suits my playing style so that definitely helps, and I think that’s contributed to the most consistent period of my career.” 

The relationship is clearly built on mutual respect, with Scott declaring Waite’s importance to the side in a media conference on Wednesday. 

“He’s so important on so many levels. He’s a great person to have around the club, great for morale and is a great role model for the young blokes on how to go about their footy,” Scott said. 

After crossing over prior to the 2015 season, Waite helped North into a preliminary final with some outstanding performances.

“We had some success early on, which was great to be a part of,” Waite said.

“I felt that I got my body in a really good position and that I could show what I could do on a consistent basis. 

“Coming here was a fresh change and helped me to do that.” 

Although he recently turned 35, an age many would consider past the peak for a key-forward, the wily veteran says his body is still in great shape, and credits knowing his limits. 

“The body is feeling really good,” he said.

“The last couple of years I have been able to put really good pre-seasons in and get my body into a really good position to survive a full season of footy.

“I think it’s important that I’m smart with the ways I prepare and the little things I can change and knowing when to go hard and when to listen to my body.”

It’s not just Waite that has noticed the effects of his smart body management, with Scott impressed with the 35-year-old’s durability. 

“He’s says he’s feeling more like a 25-year-old than a 35-year-old. He’s a remarkable athlete, and we’ve always known that,” Scott said. 

If further proof was required that his methods are working, Waite is coming off the back of one of his most impressive performances in a decade against St Kilda, recording his most disposals in a game since 2009. 

“You want to play well, and on the weekend I was able to play a bit higher,” he said. 

“Obviously 2009 is a while ago now, so games like that don’t come around too often for us forwards.

“You can’t expect it to happen like that every week so as I just want to put my best foot forward and play my role.”

With Waite able to play a variety of roles, it seems he will have a place in the team for the foreseeable future. 

“When you’ve got a key-forward that only plays key-forward you’ve probably got to rotate your team more to get others exposure,” Scott said. 

“With Waitey we can keep him in the team and still get that exposure to other key forwards.” 

Although he may not have too many seasons left, Waite is certainly feeling confident in the playing group. 

“We have got a lot of talent, especially some of the young forwards, and I think we are in an a really exciting phase at the moment with the young talent coming through.”