Essendon champion Dustin Fletcher believes he has at least another year to offer the club he's served since debuting as a schoolboy way back in 1993.
The 33-year-old dual-premiership player, whose current agreement expires at the end of this season, said a new deal through to the end of 2009 would just about see him out.
"I reckon I can play next year but … I wouldn’t be going too far after that," Fletcher said at Windy Hill on Tuesday.
"My body's feeling pretty good at the moment, but when you get into your 30s you just keep going."
"I still enjoy the game. Mentally I think I'm still with it and physically I'm not too bad as well, but next year will nearly be it, I reckon."
A 12-month extension, Fletcher argues, would fit in nicely with the development of younger defenders at the club, including Tayte Pears, Scott Gumbleton and Paddy Ryder.
"I wouldn't want to stand in the way of a few of those kids," he said.
"I just feel it's up to me to help the younger guys because you want to see the club going the right way and heading back up there, that's where I see what I'll be doing next year."
On the eve of his 288th AFL match against the Blues on Sunday which will set a new record for the most games by a father/son combination, surpassing the 551 achieved by Carlton's Stephen and Sergio Silvagni, Fletcher paid tribute to his father Ken who played 264 games for the Bombers between 1967 and 1980.
"Dad's pretty excited and to have me get the record means a fair bit to him," Fletcher said.
"He still enjoys and loves his footy, he still coaches his school side so he's pretty busy with that, but he'll be around on Sunday."
"You look at some of the names, the Silvagnis … and the Tucks and the Whittens, some big names there and to be recognised with your name continuing on is a pretty big thing."
"When your career is all done and dusted and your kids are up and coming, it will be good to have the Fletcher name still up there."
Asked to explain his longevity, Fletcher said being able to keep pace with the game was probably the No.1 factor, though staying relatively injury-free and being able to hide away deep in defence were important also.
He did say, however, that changes to the rules over the years have done defenders no favours.
"You want a good honest contest and, I'm probably a bit biased but being a backman you would like to think you could go close to the ball and spoil and if you hit their arms you just let the game go on," he said.
"There's no doubt it's got a lot harder as a backman but that's the way the game's going - you've got to move with the times and keep enjoying it."
Fletcher nominated Gary Ablett senior as his toughest opponent and singled out the Round 21 clash at Kardinia Park in his debut year, 1993, when, as an 18-year-old, he held Ablett to three goals - Ablett's lowest match tally for the season - as perhaps his best-ever performance.
Fletcher agreed he'll need to be just as effective on Sunday if he's to keep a tight rein on Carlton forward Brendan Fevola, who bounced back to form with eight goals against Collingwood on Sunday and who has bagged 28 goals in his past five clashes with the Bombers.
"If I get the chance to play on him you've just got to do your best because you know what he can produce with his ability and also blokes like Judd and some of the younger guys that Carlton's got feeding him, they're a pretty good side." said Fletcher.