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BEN Jacobs finally feels at home in North Melbourne's best team after a breakthrough 2015 season that has now triggered a second one-year contract extension, tying him to Arden Street until the end of 2017.
Jacobs signed a one-year deal with North at the end of last season, having played 21 games in the two years since he had moved from Port Adelaide at the end of 2012.
Earlier this season, the 23-year-old activated a trigger clause in his contract guaranteeing him one more year at North, and when he played his 19th game for the season last Saturday against the Western Bulldogs he activated a second trigger clause that earned him another one-year extension.
Jacobs told AFL.com.au he was "stoked" he would be at Arden Street until at least the end of 2017, but admitted that at the start of this season he wondered where he fitted in at North.
The former Sandringham Dragon had predominantly played as an inside midfielder in his first season with the Roos before switching to defence with some success in the second half of last season, a role he reprised at the start of 2015.
But it was not until he was asked to perform a run-with role on Sydney Swans midfielder Dan Hannebery that things really clicked for Jacobs.
"I wasn't really sure how it was going to pan out at the start of the year," Jacobs said.
"I obviously had the (trigger) clauses to try and get a couple more years, but I wasn't really sure where my football was at.
"I had chopped and changed positions, been in and out of the side, so I was a bit unsure where I was at.
"I thought if I could get that right then the contract would take care of itself and l've been lucky enough to get there, which is good for peace of mind."
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Before 2015, Jacobs had never played more than 14 games in a season in four years in the AFL.
His fringe status at North looked set to continue when he was dropped twice in 2015's first eight rounds.
But he has not missed a game since earning a recall in round 10 and, most pleasingly, has carved a niche for himself in the run-with midfield role that had been vacant since Levi Greenwood's departure to Collingwood at the end of last season.
"I think the biggest thing I struggled with early on is I didn't really know where my best role was going to be to help the team," Jacobs said.
"And I kind of feel like I've found that now. It's a great feeling to know that I've got a say in how we're going to go on the weekend and I've got a big role to play, which was all I wanted."
Since keeping Hannebery to 22 possessions and little of his usual influence, Jacobs has held his own against midfield stars such as Dylan Shiel, Joel Selwood, Dyson Heppell, Tom Rockliff, Marc Murphy and Nat Fyfe.
Jacobs enjoys his new role despite the pressure that comes with lining up on the opposition's best midfielder.
Playing on the competition's elite on-ballers, he feels he is learning things every week that can help his game.
But, most of all, he is grateful North's coaching staff have faith in him to play such a crucial role for the team.
"Knowing that you've got the backing and faith of the coaching group is a massive part of being able to play your role on game day – that's probably the biggest thing that's given me confidence this year," he says.
