And he is willing to look beyond Victoria's borders to extend his career.  

The 31-year-old played the last of his 71 games with the Magpies in round 12 before injuring his knee.

At the time, he was rated Collingwood's No.1 ruckman and his loss was considered a blow to the Magpies' premiership chances.

However he did not reclaim his spot after 19-year-old Brodie Grundy made a sensational start to his career and secured the position.

Grundy made his debut in round 18 as Jolly was returning via the VFL.

Jolly made a slow start when he resumed in the VFL but gathered pace as the season wore on, and many pundits were surprised when he was not named as a late inclusion to replace the injured Quinten Lynch in Saturday night's qualifying final at the MCG.

His manager Paul Connors told AFL.com.au Jolly believed he had plenty to offer and he was in good shape.

"Contrary to popular belief his body is feeling great, he is up for the next challenge and he is keen to play on," Connors said.

Jolly started as a rookie at Melbourne before joining the Sydney Swans. He played in the Swans' 2005 premiership under Paul Roos and was a critical player in both Grand Final campaigns.

He then returned to Victoria for family reasons to play with Collingwood in 2010 and was critical in helping win the club's first flag in 20 years.

He has played in five Grand Finals, including the 2010 replay, and played in 142 consecutive games between 2005 and 2011. Despite the mid-season hiccup, he remains durable.

The importance of big, strong ruckmen became clear during week one of the finals.

His name has been linked to Melbourne in recent days although the Demons have the 30-year-old Mark Jamar with two years to run on his contract.