Jones will reach the milestone against Hawthorn in Launceston on Sunday and said spending a lot of this season in the VFL had made it seem out of reach.
Speaking from Arden Street on Tuesday morning, he added his confidence was still affected and that the club's coaching situation meant he was playing for his career.
Caretaker coach Darren Crocker has kept Jones in the side the last fortnight after Dean Laidley had selected the 28-year-old for just his second game in round 12.
"We've got a new coach so it's just a little bit refreshing to change up a few things," Jones said. "He's backed me in a little bit, so it's good. I want to stand up for him [as well].
"We've got eight weeks and whatever happens at the end of the year, we'll worry about that [then]. The last eight weeks we'll be hell-bent on trying to knock over a few sides.
"I thought there were some positive signs on the weekend and hopefully we keep improving each week."
Drafted with North's fourth-round selection (No. 60 overall) in 2000, Jones soon became a steady contributor to the club's forward line.
Jones' career peaked in 2007 when, with Nathan Thompson sidelined by a knee reconstruction, he led North's goalkicking with 48 and pushed for All-Australian selection as the side advanced to the preliminary finals. He kicked a career-high seven goals against Hawthorn in round 17.
However, a foot injury kept him out of the Roos' last two finals matches and hampered his preparations for 2008.
Jones still played 19 of a possible 23 games last year, and had another seven-goal return against Richmond, but said he tested his relationship with Laidley.
Despite signing a two-year contract extension in June, he was made available for trade and agreed frustration had also crept into this season.
"I put myself in the position I was in, not performing to the level Laids wanted me to perform," he said. "It was testing at times because he challenged me a lot of times and I tried to challenge him.
"It wasn't anything that other coach-player relationships don't go through.
"When you're playing some good footy ... you can put your hand up and say you think you deserve a game."
Jones said he expected the battling Hawks to come out firing this weekend but felt North would put in a stronger performance than in its losses to the Western Bulldogs (22 points) and Sydney Swans (15).
Kicking three goals against the Swans, Jones was North's most dangerous forward of the game.
