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WESTERN Bulldogs veteran Lindsay Gilbee will consider continuing his AFL career elsewhere if the Bulldogs don't offer him a new contract.
Gilbee, who will be out of contract at season's end, has told AFL.com.au's Access All Areas he would be willing to join another club to take his career into a 13th season because he feels there is still a lot of football left in him.
"I think any player would look at it," Gilbee said when asked whether he would consider moving to another club.
"Have a look at Lukey Power: he was probably on the outer at Brisbane and he's playing well now at GWS."
The defender, who will turn 31 in July, also revealed he expects to return mid-season from a medial ligament injury to his knee. He doesn't believe his body will prevent him from playing into 2013 and beyond.
"Our surgeon, David Young, said I've got the best knees he's ever seen in all of his [time in] footy, which is a bit surprising because I'm a bit knobby-kneed," he said.
"I believe I can keep going. They'll have to push me out."
However, Gilbee said he wouldn’t be angry if the Bulldogs chose not to re-sign him.
"I'm a big believer [that] the clubs don’t owe you anything when you finish," he said.
"It's been a privilege to play for my footy club for so long and we get paid well … so I'm not one of those players who would be upset at the end of the year if the club was to say, 'Listen, let's part ways.'
"I'm open to that [but] I'd love to keep playing."
Gilbee has played 202 AFL games and, in his prime, was a key member of Bulldogs sides that played regular finals football.
He is a half-back flanker with a dangerous weapon: a right foot that can launch the ball with precision over any distance up to 60m. Such kicking skills would be welcome in the current Bulldogs line-up, which has been criticised for its lack of foot skills.
However, even before Gilbee injured his knee in the VFL, his spot on the list for 2013 appeared in jeopardy following the full-time return of Ryan Hargrave after an injury-plagued 2011 and the development of younger teammates like Easton Wood, Dylan Addison and Christian Howard.
After finishing last season in the VFL, Gilbee started the pre-season in great shape, matching the times he ran in his mid-20s. But then he missed eight weeks with a calf injury.
An All Australian in 2006, Gilbee also finished third in the Dogs' best and fairest in 2005.
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