THE WESTERN Bulldogs have retained defensive playmaker Brad Lynch for the next two seasons.
AFL.com.au revealed last week the 21-year-old was close to inking a new deal, and he signed off on it on Monday after returning from a holiday in the United States.
North Melbourne was one of several clubs to enquire about his availability after he finished the Dogs’ season unsigned.
The West Australian, in his third season at Whitten Oval, played nine straight games to finish his debut season and has earned himself a contract extension until at least the end of 2020.
Lynch had a career-best 23 possessions in the round 16 loss to Hawthorn, while he nearly secured the Dogs a major upset in round 23 against Richmond, but his long shot on goal in the dying seconds hit the post in the three-point loss.
Hamstring injuries had hampered his progress over the past 18 months.
“Brad has been a tremendous story of persistence and commitment, and it was great to see him make his mark at AFL level this season,” said Bulldogs list manger Sam Power.
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“We clearly believe Brad has an exciting future in the game, and we’re delighted to see him commit for a further two seasons.
“Along with some of our other exciting young talent, we’re eager to see how Brad will continue to improve in the coming years.”
Lynch arrived at the Bulldogs via the 2015 NAB Rookie Draft, and was a member of the 2016 Footscray VFL premiership team.
