222-game veteran Drew Petrie says he's determined to be a Roo for life despite being off contract at the end of the year and a free agent.

The vice-captain is not even worried about testing the open market.

''I don't think there is any value in me pursuing anything else away from North Melbourne,'' he told The Age's Jon Pierik.

''I am 30, which, as people like to say, are not the best days for a footballer. But my body is good, my form has been great over the last couple of years. I just have to make sure my body stays in good nick and I perform, play my role for the team."

Making Petrie even more confident in his body was an extended break on the eve of his 13th season.

''I had nine weeks off once the season had finished and he gave me another two-and-a-half weeks at Christmas.

''I have had enough rest. I joined the boys in Utah for three weeks, so I probably did my shortest pre-Christmas block of training.

''I haven't missed a session, which has been really good, considering a couple of years ago I broke the feet, but the body is holding up really well.”

Petrie says he's looking forward to continuing to develop the club's three pronged attack with Lachlan Hansen and Robbie Tarrant and believes the importance of having multiple avenues to goal can’t be underestimated.

''When the side went better I think was when each of us kicked a couple of goals and played our role - it wasn't a case of one of us kicking a bag and the others not getting a sniff.

''It was a case of everybody chipping in with a couple of goals. We also put more focus on defensive efforts and retaining the footy in our half of the ground.”

Looking to the future, Petrie is excited by the prospects of young gun Kieran Harper.

“Kieran has been training really well,” he said.

“He will probably slip into the midfield or the wing a little bit more this year. His fitness and strength have been a marked improvement for a young kid.”

And even at the age of 30 there’s still an element of surprise on the training track.

“The first session (in Utah), Jack (Ziebell) and Ben (Cunnington) were going hammer and tongs at it during training.

“I was just in amazement over the intensity they brought to the training track. It was the middle of November and they were just cracking in real hard.”

Petrie and the Kangaroos will face their first test on February 22 against Richmond and Melbourne and hopes the team has learned its lesson following last year’s final campaign.

North Melbourne was beaten by 96-points against the Eagles in its first final since 2008 - a performance the vice-captain describes as ‘embarrassing’.

''That game, looking back on it… it was a little bit men-versus-boys affair. It was over very early,'' Petrie said.

''There is still a bitter taste in the mouth from that game. It's been spoken about just a couple of times, not in any great length, just as a driving factor that we don't want that to happen to us again. It is embarrassing to get beaten by so much.

''The terrible feeling of defeat, the feeling you haven't given a yelp, that as a feeling for a footballer isn't a good one.''

The Kangaroos were one of the league’s biggest improvers in 2012, winning ten of their last 13 games, but Petrie says there’s still room for improvement.  

“We know the standard of footy that is required now to compete against the best sides.

''The first couple of years under Brad, we didn't beat the top eight sides as consistently as we probably did a bit more last year. We still got a couple of hidings.

''Now we know what to bring each week, the guys have now brought that to the training track through the pre-season. We have definitely set a higher standard in everything we have been doing, from running to the skill work. The boys have been really competitive in the gym as well.''