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ST KILDA star Jack Steven has turned his back on free agency to sign a five-year contract extension.
The quick midfielder, who was out of contract at the end of this year, has extended his commitment to the Saints until the end of 2020.
Steven, who turns 25 on Saturday, said he was thrilled to commit to the club for the long-term.
"This effectively makes me a Saint for life, which I am thrilled about," Steven said.
"There was some interest from other teams but I never entertained the thought of leaving the Saints.
"I’ve got some close friends here and there is a great vibe around the place with some positive things happening and this is the club I want to represent for my entire career."
St Kilda chief operating officer Ameet Bains said the signing was an example of the positive momentum around the club.
"For a player such as Jack to commit to the club in such an emphatic manner shows the faith our playing list has in the club and its direction," Bains said.
Coach Alan Richardson said Stevens' commitment had excited his teammates, who kick off their season against Greater Western Sydney on April 5.
"He knows there's a lot of hard work to be done but he's up for the fight," Richardson said.
"He complements in so many ways what we've done … bringing in some really strong inside players with Dunstan and Seb Ross.
"But two midfielders in particular – Jack Steven and David Armitage – need to be really strong for a long time for us to become the team we aspire to be.
"His teammates know that."
In other news, St Kilda has appointed former Saint and Hawthorn premiership player Dean Anderson to its board.
Anderson, who played in the Hawks' 1989 and 1991 premierships, replaces Nathan Burke, who stood down earlier this year after his appointment to the AFL Match Review Panel.
Anderson played 67 games for the Saints from 1993 to 1996 after arriving from Hawthorn where he played 83 games across five years.
Since retiring he has enjoyed a successful business career, working in banking for the past 25 years.
Anderson will join president Peter Summers, Paul Kirk, Danni Roche, Russell Caplan, Andrew Thompson and Liz Dawson on the St Kilda board.
