GREATER Western Sydney remains confident of re-signing Josh Kelly despite North Melbourne's audacious bid to snare the star midfielder on a multi-million dollar, nine-year contract.

Kelly, 2013's No.2 draft pick, has been in talks with the Giants for several months about extending his contract, which is due to expire at the end of this season.

Those negotiations were progressing smoothly and in late January it was reported Kelly was on the verge of re-signing with GWS until the end of 2019.

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However, AFL.com.au can confirm North has given Kelly pause to think with a nine-year offer reported to be worth close to $9 million.

It is an offer in the same league as the Swans' $10 million, nine-year offer to Lance Franklin in 2013 and the Western Bulldogs' $7 million, seven-year offer to Tom Boyd a year later.

Kelly has a family connection to the Roos. His father Phil played 61 games for the Kangaroos from 1981-85 after winning two Sandover Medals with East Perth, while Kelly barracked for the club as a youngster growing up in bayside Melbourne.

North's bid continues the club's recent string of big-money plays that has seen the Kangaroos unsuccessfully target opposition players such as Adam Treloar, Hamish Hartlett and Isaac Heeney.

A hard-running midfielder with elite skills and game sense, Kelly would be a perfect fit for North as it continues the list regeneration it embarked on at the end of 2016 following the departures of Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie, Michael Firrito, Nick Dal Santo and Daniel Wells.

However, the Giants are still confident of re-signing Kelly and remain in fruitful talks with his manager.

North is also far from the only Victorian club pitching for Kelly's services, with St Kilda, in particular, extremely keen on the Giant.