West Coast defender Jeremy McGovern has signed a five-year deal and will remain an Eagle until at least the end of the 2023 season.
The out-of-contract All-Australian was reportedly weighing up an offer from Fremantle as well as from a number of Victorian clubs, although the 26-year-old couldn't say no to the Eagles.
โItโs good news; Iโm just stoked to be staying at the club,โ McGovern told westcoasteagles.com.au.
โI love the people at the club, the direction the club is taking and itโs exciting to be a part of that.
โIโm grateful for the opportunity the club has given me and it was a gut decision to extend my contract. It would have been nice to have locked it away a bit earlier, but these things take time.
โIโm pleased it is done and now I can focus on the rest of the season. Hopefully my decision puts a few West Coast fans at ease.โ
McGovern has played 95 games for the Eagles, and has been one of their most consistent performers in 2018.
West Coast's General Manager of Football Craig Vozzo spoke to the club's website about McGovern's re-signing, and was thrilled to lock away their star defender.
โThis is a terrific result for both the football club and Jeremy,โ Vozzo said.
โHe is a very important member of our squad, leadership group and an outstanding player.
โIt is a very significant decision and gives us some great stability going forward. Heโs a popular member of the team and one of the AFLโs premier defenders. We have also been really pleased with his continued growth as a leader.
โAt 26 years of age, we believe Jeremy has a lot of football ahead of him and we look forward to contributing to his continued growth both on and off the field.โ
