DAVID Zaharakis will become a free agent at the end of the season, but the Essendon midfielder says there is no timeline on when he may re-sign with the Bombers.

The three-year contract extension Zaharakis signed in 2014 will expire this season, but the 26-year-old said he hadn't made any decisions about when discussions would ramp up with the club.

"Every year players either get it done early or wait until the end of the year, and that doesn't determine whether you stay at the footy club or not," Zaharakis said on Tuesday.

"For me it doesn't really matter when it gets done – if it gets done in the next month or two or if it gets done at the end of the year. I'm just focusing on playing footy in the JLT (Community Series) and then round one.

"That can all come to the fore when it does and it's not going to bother me. It won't hang over my head if it gets done later or earlier."

Zaharakis is among a number of important Bombers who fall out of contract at the end of this year, including champion midfielder Jobe Watson, young pair Darcy Parish and Orazio Fantasia, and leading goalkicker Joe Daniher.

Zaharakis will qualify for free agency (likely as a restricted agent) at the end of this year, his ninth at Essendon after 147 games since making his debut in 2009.

But the 2011 best and fairest winner said he couldn't see himself looking elsewhere.

"To be honest [exploring free agency options] hasn't even come into my head. I've really been focusing on training, so exploring the market is something that some players do and some players don't, but I'm very happy being at the Essendon Football Club," he said.

"I've been an Essendon supporter since I was born and it doesn't really bother me if it's early or later in the season. I want to stay here and be an Essendon Football Club player."

Zaharakis forecast a strong line-up for Essendon's JLT Community Series matches, which start on February 16 against Collingwood at Etihad Stadium.

The midfielder is looking forward to being out on the field with some of his oldest teammates again after they return from their season-long anti-doping bans.

Zaharakis wore the brunt of opposition attention at times last year, including being heavily tagged for the first time in his career, and will welcome back Watson, Dyson Heppell, Brent Stanton and David Myers to share the midfield load in 2017.

"In times like that you do learn a lot about yourself. Last year was focused more on developing relationships with young kids and really trying to develop them along and take away from your game a bit," he said.

"Getting tagged was a bit of a struggle last year but hopefully maybe with a couple more players back this year it might get turned around and we can share it this year."

Zaharakis said the Bombers were going through their leadership voting process, with an Essendon captain expected to be announced in coming weeks.

The Bombers had their official team photo taken at their Tullamarine base on Tuesday morning, but Zaharakis said nothing should be read into the fact Watson and Heppell flanked coach John Worsfold in the group shot.

"I don't know who organised those seats today – all the names were on pieces of paper and we just sat down. We actually don't know who did that," he said.

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