DREW Petrie has 'gatecrashed' his good friend Brent Harvey's re-signing press conference to announce that he too will play on at North Melbourne in 2016. 

North announced on Thursday that Harvey would extend his career into a 21st season in 2016 and made the five-time club best-and-fairest available to the media at 2.15pm. 

It was then that Petrie walked in unannounced to Harvey's conference to light-heartedly declare that he had signed a new one-year deal too. 

"There was more than one 30-year-old who got a new contract around here, so I thought I would crash the party," Petrie joked. 

Petrie, 32, had been set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, but the North vice-captain had no hesitation in signing the first one-year deal of his career.

"My form lately has been all right. The form early (in 2015) was ordinary, but it was nothing that I couldn't change – it was nothing to do with me getting slower or not being able to move like I used to. 

"It was just probably my form and once I straightened that out I knew I would be OK." 

Petrie is now well placed to become just the fifth Kangaroo to play 300 games. 

The Roos spearhead sits equal seventh on the North games list alongside Mick Martyn on 287 games and, like Harvey, has enjoyed a good run of fitness recently. 

Since foot injuries decimated his 2010 season, Petrie has not missed a game through injury. 

In three of those four completed seasons, he has led North's goalkicking (2011, 2012, 2014) and he again leads the way in 2015 with 35 goals after round 20. 

But the 2011 All Australian characteristically downplayed the likelihood he would join the 300 club next season. 

"I don't feel as though I deserve to be there," Petrie said. 

"I won't be trying to draw any accolades or attention my way once that milestone comes up. 

"Once you finish your footy, that's when you reflect on it."