Mark Jamar Biography

Mark Jamar joins Essendon as a top-up player after being convinced by the Bombers to play in 2016.

The former Demon is understood to have made the difficult decision to resume his AFL career after much consideration.

"We obviously needed to add a ready-made ruckman to our list. Mark, as a big-bodied, All Australian ruckman will provide us with a great deal of experience," Essendon football manager Rob Kerr said.

"We feel Mark will work well with Matthew Leuenberger and assist with the development of our young players such as Gach Nyuon."

Mark Jamar concedes that his career at AFL level is over, and will play amateur football in Victoria next season.

While he is currently in Darwin playing in the NTFL for the ladder-leading Southern Districts, he is planning on running out for Victorian amateur club St Kevin's in 2016.

"I'm working closely with local club St Kevin's in footy and to find my next career in construction," Jamar said.

"I decided recently that I wasn't going to pursue the AFL."

Melbourne has let go of ruckman Mark Jamar, deciding not to offer the 32-year-old a contract for season 2016.

Jamar played 155 senior games for the Demons but peaked in 2010 when he gained All Australian selection and finished third in Melbourne's best and fairest.

He played the first five games this season before being overtaken in the pecking order by Max Gawn and Jake Spencer.

Jamar said he was open to the idea of continuing his career elsewhere.

"I've just got to take a few weeks and spend some time with the family and decide [if I want to try and keep playing in the AFL] in the near future," he told the club's website.

"But the body's good and I really enjoyed playing footy this year, so I haven't ruled anything out.

"At this stage, I'm going to reflect on my time as a player at Melbourne and just sit back and enjoy the memories."

Melbourne deny reports by The Australian that Mark Jamar had reached a mutual understanding with new coach Paul Roos to part ways with the club.

"[The report that] Paul Roos and Mark Jamar had a mutual agreement is wrong. They have not had any discussions regarding his future at the club," Melbourne football operations manager Josh Mahoney said.

"We have not declared he [Jamar] is on the move and there has certainly been no meeting between Paul Roos and Mark that they have agreed to move."

Ruckman Mark Jamar signs a new deal with Melbourne that will keep him at the club until 2015.

"[It was] not difficult in the end. [The] club put faith in me and I would like to repay them," he said.

"I am putting a lot of faith and confidence in the club so whether or not I am here for the success down the track I am going to do everything I can from this point on to create a good culture and help the boys around the place keep that."

Mark Jamar believes with the new rules protecting the players, players may start sliding head-first into contests.

"With the way the rules are now, you are probably better off going in head-first because your opposing player will actually probably hold off a bit not wanting to give away a free or get suspended," he said.

"It is probably safer now than it ever has been."

The Demons have begun contract negotiations with Mark Jamar, who wants to play out his career at Melbourne.

"It is good - the season hasn't even started and the club has gone to my manager and I don't think that has ever happened to me before," Jamar said.

"It's good in a way. You feel important and you know you are a required player so that is a good feeling."

The arrival of recruit Mitch Clark could lead to a slightly different role for Mark Jamar next season.

"It might mean I can rotate forward a little more often with Mitch, or whether I continue to play the same amount of game time in the ruck," Jamar said.

"He is a great addition to our team and it is going to be really good for us."

Ruckman Mark Jamar commits to Melbourne for the next two seasons on the back of career-best campaign in 2010.

"Mark has become a very important cog in our team," Melbourne list manager Tim Harrington said.

"We've been given a great advantage through his ruck work. With a younger midfield group, it's vital that we've got some physical presence in there, and Mark provides that for us."

Melbourne ruckman Mark Jamar could bolster the side's ruck stocks against St Kilda this week after returning from a foot stress fracture.