NORTH Melbourne coach Brad Scott believes the substitute rule will help club veteran Brent Harvey pass the 400-game mark and join Michael Tuck and Kevin Bartlett in the illustrious AFL/VFL club.

Harvey was outstanding against Port Adelaide in his 365th game last Sunday, collecting 23 possessions and booting three goals, including a clutch set shot from outside 50m to seal the Roos' narrow win.

The 35-year-old is the second oldest player in the League behind 38-year-old Essendon defender Dustin Fletcher but is showing no sign of slowing down.

Scott was in awe of the work Harvey put into his game and said he was very capable of playing on towards 400 games.

"If he plays long enough he'll get there and there's no reason to say he wouldn't keep playing next year and beyond – that sounds unbelievable but you just look at his output and the way he trains," Scott told SEN Radio.

"I think the sub rule's really going to help, I think he'd be a pretty devastating little sub if he came on half way through the third quarter.

"Along with Dustin Fletcher, they break the mould in terms of players post-30 - you generally think they start to decline, but Boomer's playing as well as he ever has and he honestly never misses a session.

"He recovers quicker in between games than anyone else; genetically he's obviously gifted, but the work he puts in is unbelievable."

While Harvey is yet to sign on for next season, Scott expected negotiations to begin towards the end of the season.

Scott hoped the veteran would sign on for another 12 months just before this season's finals campaign in what has become an annual announcement out of Arden Street.

"He doesn't look too far ahead, I think he's signed six one-year contracts in a row," he said.

"At about round 16 or 17 in each of the last four years we’ve sat down and had a chat about playing on and it's always been a pretty quick discussion and so hopefully it's the same again this year."

Twitter: @AFL_Harry