AYDEN Kennedy's encouraging return from a knee reconstruction has earned the athletic 192cm utility a one-year contract extension at North Melbourne.

Kennedy, 20, ruptured his right anterior cruciate ligament in a practice match against Greater Western Sydney in March 2011 and missed all of last season.

Kennedy came out of contract at the end of 2011 but his professional approach to his rehabilitation convinced North to sign him for 2012 despite the fact he had yet to play an AFL game.

The Roos' show of faith has been justified as Kennedy has strung together an impressive season with their VFL affiliate Werribee, playing 14 VFL and three Foxtel Cup games, primarily at centre half-back.

Most encouragingly for Kennedy and North, he seems over the injury problems that dogged his first two years at Aegis Park - his first season, 2010, was severely disrupted by a foot stress fracture.

"I've been really happy to play 17 games in a row and even happier that my body is feeling really good now," Kennedy told AFL.com.au shortly after re-signing for 2013.

"I was a bit worried about my knee earlier in the year. It was probably more mental than anything, but it took me a while to get confidence in it again when I returned to the track.

"But the more I've trained and the more I've played the better it has felt and it now feels as good as new."

North football chief Donald McDonald told AFL.com.au Kennedy had shown in 2012 he had the ability to play AFL football.

"Ayden has shown really good form at Werribee and his development as a player has been really pleasing," McDonald said.

"He's still young and our defence has been very stable this year, so we weren't necessarily expecting him to play senior football this year. But he's definitely shown us he has AFL capabilities.

"The challenge now for Ayden - and for Aaron Black as a young key forward - is to continue to work hard and to really put pressure on the guys in the senior team."

To do that, Kennedy says he needs to put in a big 2013 pre-season after he's completed his VFL finals commitments with Werribee. His primary focus will be improving his aerobic endurance.

The Kangaroos drafted Kennedy with pick No. 41 in the 2009 NAB AFL Draft based on his play as a key forward with Eastern Ranges in the TAC Cup.

McDonald says North won't necessarily pigeonhole Kennedy as a defender or forward, while Kennedy, himself, says he is just happy to play for the Roos regardless of his position.

"I was pretty flat last year after I did my ACL and the club helped me through that time a lot," Kennedy says.

"And for them to give me a contract extension at the end of that season when I basically hadn't played any football for two years was a massive show of faith.

"So it was good to hopefully repay that faith with some reasonably good footy this year, and really good to be able to re-sign again for 2013."

Nick Bowen covers North Melbourne news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Nick