Melbourne co-captain James McDonald is set to move into the top 10 on the Demons' all-time games list after agreeing to a new one-year contract on Tuesday to play on in 2009.

McDonald, who turns 32 in October, made his debut in 1997 and has played 212 games.

His one-year contract extension comes despite McDonald having failed to recapture the form this year that saw him win the Demons' best and fairest award in 2006 and 2007, while he was also named in the All-Australian side in 2006 and finished runner-up in the 2003 best and fairest.

McDonald, who is already a life member at Melbourne, is currently in 17th place on the Demons' all-time list of most games played with three of his current team-mates in Adem Yze, Jeff White and the injured Russell Robertson in front of him.

But with that trio's future beyond this season still far from certain, McDonald is set to become the Demons' most experienced current player next year and with a good run with injury could leapfrog the likes of Brett Lovett (235 games), White (233), Todd Viney (233), Stan Alves (226), Garry Lyon (226), Greg Wells (224), Gary Hardeman (219), Jack Mueller (216) and Percy Beames (213) on the list of longest-serving Melbourne players.

And that would put him into elite company behind only David Neitz (306 games), Robert Flower (272), Yze (269), current president Jim Stynes (264), Steven Febey (258) and Brian Dixon (252).

McDonald said he was looking forward to helping the Demons climb back up the ladder next year following this year's disappointing slide to last place.

"I am delighted to have re-signed with Melbourne and am looking forward to continuing my career here at the club," he said.

"We're heading in the right direction and I realise that I have a role to play as an individual in the team and as a player that can assist and help develop the young list that we have."