JONATHON Patton has extended his contract with Greater Western Sydney until the end of 2017.
The 21-year-old, who ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament playing against Melbourne last Sunday and will undergo surgery early next week, was coming off contract at the end of next season.
But discussions had already been taking place over a new deal with the No.1 pick from the 2011 NAB AFL Draft, and an agreement has now been reached.
Prior to his injury, which is the fourth significant injury of Patton's short career, there was speculation he was to be the subject of a huge offer from the Western Bulldogs to return home to Melbourne.
But Patton has often spoken of his intention to stay with the Giants long-term and has now backed up those words by showing his faith in the club's direction.
AFL.com.au spoke to Giants chief executive Dave Matthews at a club function earlier on Friday, when he declared the club wanted to give the talented key forward some peace of mind over his long-term future.
"Clearly we've been in discussions for a while with Jonathon Patton," Matthews said.
"He's obviously someone we want to lock in long-term and even more so now (since his knee injury).
"I just want to give him the security and certainty to let him get on and overcome that setback."
Patton is expected to be sidelined for at least the next 10 months and will likely target a return to the field in round one, 2016.
The Giants have a raft of players coming off contract at the end of 2015 and some more announcements regarding key re-signings are expected in the coming weeks.
Patton revealed on Thursday he "couldn't stop crying for 20 minutes" when he heard the news he required another reconstruction.
The tall forward penned a letter to Greater Western Sydney fans and the rest of the AFL declaring his intention to play again as soon as possible.
"First, I want to thank everyone for their well wishes," Patton wrote on the club's website.
"The support I have received over the past few days from other AFL players, coaches and, of course, the unbelievable Giants supporters has been overwhelming.
"There's no doubt this is a very challenging and confronting time in my life.
"I'm three years into my career and have had more injuries than most people have endured for their whole career.
"When I first heard the news about my knee I couldn’t stop crying for 20 minutes.
"But with the support of Giants welfare manager Craig Lambert, my manager Paul Connors, my brother Chris and mum Belinda, I quickly realised that life goes on and I had to deal with what has been thrown at me."
Patton required surgery for patella tendinopathy in his left knee prior to his first season in the AFL back in 2012, while he also had season-ending shoulder surgery that same year.
He thanked his teammate and best friend Stephen Coniglio, who was about to board a flight to Sydney following the club's victory over Melbourne before heading to the key forward's Melbourne home to offer support.
Patton knows he has "a tough, long road" ahead, but at least knows what's required to get back to the top level.
Patton had played 19 of a possible 20 matches this season, taking his career tally to 29 games for GWS.
He kicked 25 goals this year and overall was averaging just over 11 possessions and five marks per game.
"I could not ask for a better club to be a part of as I go through this," he wrote, paying particular tribute to chief executive Dave Matthews and football manager Graeme Allan.
"Then there are my teammates who have been incredibly supportive. The worst thing about this whole process is not being able to train and play with all my best mates for a long time.
"I now need to move on and deal with this situation. After all, this is only a 9-10 month rehab. There are people out there fighting for their lives and going through a lot tougher things than I am.
"I will get my surgery done early next week and recover to the best of my ability to make sure I am there with my teammates for the next 10 years."
