Young ruckman pens contract extension at Dockers

[Glasgow]

EMERGING Fremantle ruckman Sean Darcy has signed a two-year contract extension that will tie him to the club until the end of 2022.

Darcy, 20, has averaged 33.7 hit-outs in his 15 AFL games, more than teammate Aaron Sandilands, Collingwood's Brodie Grundy, West Coast's Nic Naitanui and Melbourne's Max Gawn at the same stage of their careers.

He joins Michael Walters and new recruit Rory Lobb as Dockers who have signed on until 2022, the trio's tenure behind only that of captain Nat Fyfe, who is committed to Freo until 2023.

A leaner Darcy is expected to challenge veteran Sandilands for the No.1 ruck role in 2019.

The 201cm former Geelong Falcon – the No.38 pick in the 2016 NAB AFL Draft – said his relationship with coach Ross Lyon and the playing group made the decision to stay an easy one.

"As a group we have a great chemistry and we are all really close. It was an easy decision from my end and I am really excited for the future at Freo," Darcy said.

"I am close with a lot of the boys so I am loving it here. Ross has been unreal for me during the past two years and I'm enjoying developing with a young group."

Dockers football chief Peter Bell enthused that the Dockers were well-placed in the ruck role for both the short and long term.

"The contract extension is great news for the club and for Sean. It shows the confidence we have in him as a player while illustrating Sean's confidence in the club and his desire to succeed at Fremantle," Bell said.

"Sean is a talented young ruckman who has already made a significant impact on the field.

"He's a great character to have at the club and we expect him to be a vital cog in our midfield in the long-term.

"It's safe to say we've been spoiled by the contribution of Aaron Sandilands for almost two decades, and while we expect that to continue, having Sean sign on means we can head into the future with confidence."