FORMER first-round pick Xavier O'Halloran will remain at Greater Western Sydney in 2023 after securing a new contract.
The 22-year-old was forced to endure a nervous wait until after the trade period, but has now secured an extension that will be finalised in the coming days.
O'Halloran played 14 games during a difficult year in 2022 that saw coach Leon Cameron depart after round nine before Mark McVeigh took over on a caretaker basis in the second half of the season.
THAT'S A WRAP Who's in, who's out after the 2022 Trade Period
At the end of the home-and-away season, O'Halloran was told he was not guaranteed another deal and would have to wait to see how active the club was during the trade period.
Since being selected with pick No. 22 in the 2018 NAB AFL Draft, the Victorian has played 33 games for the Giants and will get the chance to add to that next year.
The two players the Giants drafted ahead of O'Halloran that year (Jye Caldwell and Jackson Hately) and the one taken two picks after him (Bobby Hill) have all now moved to other clubs.
GWS lost star midfielders Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper to Richmond before last Wednesday night's trade deadline, while Tanner Bruhn – another former first-round pick – moved to Geelong and Hill landed at Collingwood.
The Giants recruited Toby Bedford from Melbourne on a three-year deal, effectively to replace Hill.
Giants GM Jason McCartney was one of the most active figures during the trade period, striking deals for the four players who departed for Victoria before making a late play for star midfielder Jaeger O’Meara, who moved from Hawthorn to Fremantle just minutes before the deadline.
INDICATIVE DRAFT ORDER Check out your club's picks
The Giants were also involved in the mega deal that saw last year's No. 1 pick Jason Horne-Francis move from North Melbourne to Port Adelaide in a four-club deal.
The Giants traded pick No.3 and No.12 to secure the first pick in November's NAB AFL Draft.
They also currently hold picks 15, 18, 19, 31, 57 and 61.