For Jarrad Waite, the opportunity to lead a young North forward line in 2017 is something he’s more than looking forward to.

A new one-year deal will take the veteran into a 15th AFL year, and he’ll line up alongside the likes of Ben Brown, Majak Daw and Mason Wood.

“I’m really excited to play again and really keen to have an impact on the younger fellas,” Waite told NMFC.com.au.

“I’m keen to work with the young boys and get young Benny (McKay) and Sam (Durdin) to get a game and confidence going into the future.

“I think the boys coming through are very excited and the players that are still here, you feel challenged.

“I know this club, when we are on the floor that’s when we fight and it wasn’t our best second half of the year, but we know next year we’ll have a fit list again and another opportunity.

“It’s enjoyable to…know we’ve got some genuine talent and kids that are coming through that are going to be some very good players.”

Although the second half of Waite’s year was interrupted by a niggling hip issue, the star forward believes it won’t hamper his work on the training track over summer.

Waite is aiming to recapture his stunning start to 2016, when he was rated the best player in the competition with 22 goals in the first six rounds.

“I started off really well, and I was in some good form. I was almost in the best form of my life and was loving it.

“The boys were playing really well - nine and zip we were pretty happy with that.

“And then the hip issue started rearing its head. I probably had four games in a row where I just copped knocks to it and it sort of started shutting down. I just lost power.

“Then not getting it right for six or seven weeks and then having surgery was very frustrating.”

After surgery, it was hoped Waite would only miss the last four matches of the home and away season before returning for the finals.

But despite his relatively smooth recovery, he wasn’t able to get up.

“Just a few things weren’t up to 100 per cent so Brad and I decided that it wouldn’t be best to play.

“I didn’t have that zip there that you can feel with the jumping, running and movement; it was just off.

“I knew that if I was playing seniors I would have got frustrated and it wouldn’t have been a great result for anyone.”