IRISHMAN Pearce Hanley says the security of a five-year deal at the Brisbane Lions was just too good to pass up.
The 24-year-old running defender has committed himself to the the club until at least the end of 2018, and on Tuesday declared himself a Lion for life.
He said there was always a slight risk of underselling himself with such a lengthy contract, but believed the security and bright future of the Lions far outweighed that.
Hanley has been in Brisbane since being drafted late in 2007 and with 74 games under his belt, is a cornerstone of the Lions' future.
He said the deal was finalised before Michael Voss' sudden sacking last week, but that bombshell made little difference to his decision to sign, despite the initial shock.
"The main thing is the players, we're a really united group," Hanley said.
"I love playing with them, love the footy club and we trust the people in charge are going to point us in the right direction and do what's right for us.
"We've got a good young group here, very talented list and I'm just looking forward to the future."
Despite negotiations dragging on a little longer than expected, Hanley said there was never any temptation to look elsewhere.
He even showed a bit of Irish cheek and wit when asked if the Lions might have got him at a cheap price over the long term.
"They tried to at the start, that's why it took a bit longer than expected," he laughed.
"Five years is long because you could undersell yourself if you start playing better football but then it's good security if you go through a form slump.
"I'm quite happy with where I'm at right now but obviously there's still a lot of improvement, so signing for five years was pretty easy."
Hanley sustained a hip flexor injury in Saturday night's win over GWS, but after scans on Monday cleared him of any major damage, he rated himself a "big chance" to play the Western Bulldogs on Sunday.
He joins Matthew Leuenberger and Daniel Rich as re-signings this year who will form the nucleus of the Lions in coming seasons.
General manager of football operations Dean Warren said Hanley's development would quickly see him become 'one of the game's elite'.
Hanley is favoured to win the Lions' best and fairest this season after finishing fifth and third in the past two seasons respectively.
Twitter: AFL_mikewhiting
