HAYDEN Young has become the longest-contracted player in the AFL, signing a new deal with Fremantle tying him to the club until 2033.
The 23-year-old Victorian was already contracted to the Dockers for another three seasons, until the end of 2027, and has added a six-year extension.
He is the only player in the AFL to be signed until 2033.
Sam Taylor, Connor Rozee, Noah Balta, Max King and Aaron Naughton are all signed at their respective clubs until the end of 2032.
Gold Coast defender Mac Andrew signed a new deal in September until the end of 2030, but AFL.com.au reported that deal includes a trigger that could tie him to the Suns until the end of 2034.
Young said his decision to re-sign was a "no-brainer".
"In the five years that I've been here, I've really fallen in love, and I'm super excited that this is where I'm going to be staying for the rest of my career," Young said.
"I'm really optimistic about the direction we are heading as a club, and I really want to be a part of that going forward.
"I've settled into life in Perth, and I certainly don't want to shift and move now that I've settled in. I've got a house, live near the beach – it's a pretty good lifestyle to live. So to know that I'll be here for the next nine years is a bit crazy, but also super exciting. I'm stoked.
"When I got drafted, I had never been to Fremantle, didn't know anything about it, but I suppose as a young kid I admired players who played at one club.
"I also admired players that had to go through adversity, put in the hard yards, and got the rewards toward the back end of their career.
"We've had a few frustrating seasons where we've been close but haven't quite got there yet. I certainly feel like we're heading in the right direction, and it will be so much more rewarding when we do reach the pinnacle after being there through the hard yards and putting in all the effort.
"We want to be the first players to hold up a premiership cup for Fremantle and bring it back to the town."
Young has become a crucial cog in the Dockers machine after making the move from defence into the midfield.
Missing just one game this season, he averaged 23.8 disposals, five clearances and kicked 13 goals.
He capped his career-best season with an All-Australian extended squad nod and finished third in the club best and fairest.
"The next step for me is to be a consistent player," Young said.
"The goal is to back that up week in, week out, and keep supporting the other mids.
"I feel like we’ve got a really strong midfield group, and we all complement each other really well."
- with AAP
