MELBOURNE has re-signed 21-year-old forward Alex Neal-Bullen to a new two-year deal, keeping him at the club at least until the end of 2019.
General manager of football operations Josh Mahoney said Neal-Bullen had earned his deal after making strong progress in 2017.
"Alex had a frustrating year last year in terms of AFL selection, however we thought that he improved significantly during the year," he told melbournefc.com.au.
"This year his development has been rewarded with selection and we have seen his performances improve throughout the season."
The South Australian said he was "stoked" at securing his future for the next two seasons.
"It's good to put the hard work in at the start of the year and I'm just starting to see the rewards now," he told the club website.
"I just feel like it's all coming together. I've still got a lot to learn, but I feel like I'm heading in the right direction and the hard work throughout the year is starting to pay off."
Neal-Bullen, who was selected at No.40 in the 2014 NAB AFL Draft, has played 32 matches since making his debut in round 11, 2015 against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium.