Essendon midfield-forward Archie Perkins has penned a one-year contract extension, tying him to the Hangar until the conclusion of the 2027 campaign.
A member of Essendon's highly publicised 2020 Draft class, Perkins has endured his fair share of detractors of the journey, and will have one season under new coach Mark McVeigh to prove said detractors wrong.
Perkins, along with teammates Nikolas Cox and Zach Reid, was drafted inside the top 10 of the 2020 intake, but as yet, the three men have failed to live up to that billing.
The utility has averaged 13 disposals across his 117 games, while managing 72 goals, as a member of an Essendon side that has lost double the amount of games they have won with him in the sash.
Bombers list boss Matt Rosa put the onus on Perkins to lead a young Bombers' squad next season, in announcing the extension.
“It's great for Archie to sign on for another year,” Rosa said.
“We think he's got plenty of upside for us and is still capable of elevating and adding more layers to his game in future.
“His response in the second half of this year was really positive. Archie offers us a dynamic forward target at his size and has the potential to provide some experience and physical strength to our midfield mix.
“At 24, his best footy is still ahead of him and we're excited to see what that looks like after a big pre-season.”
Perko signs on 🤝https://t.co/MEmAA2PhAQ
— Essendon FC (@essendonfc) October 4, 2026
Perkins' re-commitment follows that of Rhys Unwin and Will Setterfield in recent weeks.
