CONTRACT talks continue to progress between Brendon Goddard and Essendon for a new deal, with the veteran Bomber gaining confidence from opponents around the competition playing well into their 30s.

Essendon's stand-in captain falls out of contract at the end of this season, when the four-year deal he signed when he crossed from St Kilda at the end of 2012 expires.

AFL.com.au reported earlier this month that discussions were continuing between the parties with Goddard eyeing a two-year extension.

The 31-year-old, who has played every game this season in a difficult year for the club, said his manager Craig Kelly was speaking with the Bombers and that negotiations are "going well".

"Hopefully we get something done soon. I realise we've got to go through the right avenues and due diligence and go through the process – all the clichés," Goddard said on Thursday.

"But myself and 'Ned' and the management group TLA are pretty comfortable with where it's at."

He is due to reach his 300th AFL game in the middle of next season with a good run of fitness, but the 2013 best and fairest winner said he hadn't set a timeframe on his career.

"I went to the club and said, 'Give me a four-year deal' but they turned that down pretty quick. It's been pretty evident that we start at the top and meet somewhere in the middle, that's pretty basic contract negotiations," he said.

"How long do I want to play for? As long as I can, but I won't do that to the detriment of the club and someone else. If they can fill my role and play it better than me then I'm happy to step down."

Goddard has been exceptionally durable over his career and particularly at Essendon, playing 81 of a possible 84 games since moving to the club.

He said his body is "feeling as good as it ever has" and that the changes in the game more broadly has given him extra belief he can continue to play at a high level for some time.

"I'm pleasantly surprised to be honest, although I'm pretty confident in my preparation and what I do between Monday and Friday," he said.

"But everyone keeps telling me that when you hit 30 it starts to go backwards, but I'm trying to break that trend. I'm gaining some confidence from other guys this year playing really well into their mid-to-late 30s, so I can take a bit of confidence out of that.

"Also the way the game's changing with the rotations – admittedly I'm not a speed athlete – so being an endurance athlete it actually helps me with the longevity in the game."

Goddard has remained consistent this season as one of the Bombers' most senior and experienced players, averaging 27 disposals. Last week he gathered 31 touches in the club's loss to the Brisbane Lions, in what was a disappointing 37-point defeat.

The Bombers entered the clash as favourites but were blown away early by the 17th-placed Lions, and this week face top-four contenders Adelaide at Adelaide Oval.

"It's almost laughable to think that we [took the game lightly]. We didn't put any pressure on ourselves about going into a game as favourites, we approached the game like any other game," he said.

"We had been playing some pretty good footy for three or four weeks, and they got off to a really good start. We didn't really capitalise on our opportunities in the second quarter when we felt like we dominated the game. And they played really well, take nothing away from them.

"We were disappointed in some of our efforts during the game, but across the board we didn't take them lightly or any differently to any other game."