North Melbourne ruckman Braydon Preuss is staying put at Arden St, signing a two-year contract extension to remain a Kangaroo.
Preuss, 22, will stay at North Melbourne until at least 2020 after having a breakthrough 2017 season.
The 206cm rugby league convert debuted in round one and went on to play eight games across the year.
โIโm bloody excited, itโs really good to get it done,โ Preuss told nmfc.com.au.
โWeโve got heaps of young guys coming through and everyone here obviously wants to stay because weโre all re-signing, so the players obviously know there is something big happening.โ
North Melbourne GM of Football Cameron Joyce is confident that Preuss will continue to improve as an AFL ruckman.
โOne of our strengths will be the depth of our ruck division and the further development of players like Braydon," Joyce told the club's website.
โHe moves extremely well for someone of his size, heโs got a great pair of hands and can take a really strong mark, and to think he only started playing football at 17.โ
Preuss's name was brought up regularly during the trade period, but the Queenslander said he never considered leaving.
โIt was just trade period talk,โ Preuss said.
โPeople start rumours from nothing but I was contracted for next year and it never crossed my mind and the club knew that.โ
Despite many critics believing there isn't space for both Preuss and Goldstein in the senior side, Preuss sees it as an advantage for the club.
"We can't afford to have any slack days with our training or playing because if one of us drops off form-wise, there's another bloke ready to play and take the spot," Preuss said.
"We all have different strengths, we're all completely different players, so it's good for us and the club."
Preuss was taken with pick 15 in the 2014 rookie draft and averaged 23 hit-outs and 9 touches per game in 2017.
