Jack Hayes has signed a two-year deal to remain at the Saints until the end of 2024.
The 26-year-old trained at Moorabbin during the pre-season and was signed as an SSP rookie, impressing as a mobile forward with pinch-hitting ability in the ruck.
The Woodville-West Torrens product made his AFL debut in Round 1 and duly monstered Collingwood's undersized backline in a losing effort.
An ACL tear in Round 6 against the Giants prematurely ended Hayes' 2022 campaign, but coach Brett Ratten stressed at the time that a contract extension would be offered "ASAP".
That extension has today landed, with Hayes now well into a rehabilitation process.
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St Kilda's head of list management, James Gallagher, told the club's website that Hayes has wowed the Saints in his short stay.
โWhat weโve seen from him so far in the AFL, is exactly what weโve observed for the past couple of years from him at SANFL level," he said.
โJackโs already attacking his rehabilitation with the high level of professionalism weโve become accustomed to from him, andย we look forward to seeingย himย back up and running in the not-too-distant future.โ
Hayes is the fifth mature-aged SANFL product nabbed by St Kilda in recent years, with Callum Wilkie, Tom Highmore, Cooper Sharman and Robbie Young also procured from the South Australian league.
