The Brisbane Lions have confirmed the re-signings of three players, with young guns Jaxon Prior, Carter Michael and Blake Coleman all set to extend their time at the club.
Prior is the most established of the trio, having moved from Western Australia after being taken at Pick 59 in the 2019 draft by the Lions.
Recruited from the West Perth Falcons, Prior's status as a hybrid defender has seen him play 12 matches for Brisbane this year, having originally made his debut last year, where he played 18 games.
Sitting on a career total of 30 games, the 21-year-old has re-signed with the Lions until at least the end of 2024, with the two-year contract demonstrating a strong show of faith in the youngster from the club.
“Jaxon is a popular team man amongst the Club who continues to develop in leaps each year. He’s very professional in the way he goes about things, and is on quite the upward trajectory," Lions list manager Dom Ambrogio said in a statement.
We’re looking forward to having him in our group for a few more years.”
Both Michael and Coleman, on the other hand, have had a single season added to their deals in the Queensland capital.
A pair of Lions academy products, both were taken through the 2020 AFL draft. Coleman, to this stage, is yet to make his debut, with the forward playing in the VFL competition this season after an interrupted pre-season.
Michael, on the other hand, broke into the senior team with a Round 17 debut against Essendon, playing out of the Brisbane defensive line, where he impressed.
Ambrogio said both deserved their extensions at the club.
“It was a great reward for Carter to make his debut this season, when he came into the team, he made the most of his opportunities showing he can play at AFL level,” Ambrogio said.
“Carter showed plenty of promise down back, so it was unfortunate to see his season cut short due to injury, as he was building some real momentum.
“Blake again showed the benefits of being on an AFL list for a second season and he produced some strong performances at VFL level.
“He has natural goalkicking and marking ability which makes him exciting to watch, so we hope to see him take that next step as he keeps working on his craft.
“We were really pleased with the development these two players have shown and are looking forward to seeing what they can do next year with another solid pre-season under their belt.”
