HAWTHORN ruckman Brent Renouf has signed a new deal that will tie him to the club until the end of 2012.

Renouf, who came to the Hawks from Gold Coast club Southport, joins captain Sam Mitchell and forwards Lance Franklin and Jarryd Roughead in penning new contracts with Hawthorn in the past fortnight.

Hawks general manager football operations, Mark Evans, said New Zealand-born Renouf, 22, had shown great maturity in shouldering the bulk of the team’s ruck responsibilities this season: “His competitiveness and application has developed steadily and he has good potential for the future.”
 
Evans said it was now “an interesting environment” in which to be re-contracting players.

“There is continuous media speculation about the Gold Coast and Western Sydney, so it’s certainly pleasing that Brent, along with Sam Mitchell, Jarryd Roughead and Lance Franklin, are all looking to the long-term future of the club.”

Renouf has played 29 matches for the Hawks after making his debut in 2008. He played in the club’s premiership team in that year.