FREMANTLE has shown faith in youngsters Taylin Duman and Stefan Giro by re-signing them for two more years until the end of 2021.
Duman, 20, broke through for a debut in round five last season against the Western Bulldogs after being drafted as a rookie in 2016 and managed 10 appearances.
The rangy 192cm defender finished the campaign on a high with 24 disposals and seven tackles against Collingwood in round 23, shortly after being rewarded with a one-year contract extension for 2019 and elevation to the senior list.
Duman has the versatility to challenge Griffin Logue and Brennan Cox for the third tall defender position alongside key pillars Alex Pearce and Joel Hamling, or to be used as a rebounding half-back.
"I don’t feel like I’m missed a beat so far (this pre-season), touch wood. I feel really strong, that I’m getting a lot fitter and I’m working really hard on my football craft as well," Duman said.
"It was really good to finish off the year against Collingwood strongly and, hopefully, I can use that momentum and use that belief that I’ve gained to fight for a round one spot this year.
"I’m really excited to extend with Freo. The mood at the club is really strong at the moment.
"Everyone is really happy with where we’re at so far this pre-season but there’s still a lot of work to be done."
Giro also played 10 matches and averaged 14.7 disposals last year, playing mainly across half-forward, after being drafted as a rookie in 2017.
The South Australian running machine has enjoyed a strong pre-season and dominated all three 2km time trials.
"This is a great opportunity for me and I’m excited for what the future holds at Fremantle," Giro said.
"I think we’ve got something special here so I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what we can achieve.
"I’m looking forward to competing for a spot in the team. I can’t wait to get the JLT series underway and see how I go from there."