TOM McDonald says he had no hesitation in recommitting to Melbourne, as he believes the club will be competing strongly for at least the next four years.

It was announced on Tuesday morning that McDonald had signed a new contract, which will see him remain in the red and blue until at least the end of 2022.

McDonald said he wanted a new contract for at least “three to four years, because I’ve done two year deals in the past”.

“It’s probably the first time that it’s been a long-term deal to sign with the club,” he said.

“It’s probably the biggest decision, in terms of my professional career, that I’ve made.

“It wasn’t something that I was going to take lightly and that’s probably why it’s taken until mid-season.

“In the end, I really wanted to play for Melbourne and we’ve negotiated that’s fair for both sides and we come out really happy. I can play for the footy club for another four years at least and hopefully longer.

“I’m really excited to be a part of it.”

McDonald said he had no doubt the club was now on the right track for the long-term, although he had “hoped” previously.

Meanwhile, McDonald says he doesn’t think he’ll return to defence, given the season-ending injury to Jake Lever.

McDonald has been brilliant in attack this year, booting 19 goals in his past six games.

“I think they’ll look at other guys who have been playing in the reserves to come up and play in Jake’s position,” he said.

“I’ve enjoyed the role [as a forward] … I think it suits me more as a player, maybe a little bit more as a defender,” he said.

“I felt really comfortable, since moving forward, that I can do the role week-in-week-out – whether that’s playing a high-level game or just doing what’s required for certain weeks.”

McDonald has played 132 games since making his AFL debut in 2011.