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Fremantle have signed Matthew Taberner for a further two-years with the key forward agreeing to a contract extension with the club.
The deal is on top of Taberner’s existing contract for 2019 and will see him at the club until at least the end of the 2021 season.
Taberner said he was thrilled to sign with Freo and is eager to build on a number of promising performances from his 62-game career to date.
“It’s very exciting, I couldn’t be happier,” Taberner said.
“It’s great to have Fremantle showing that faith in me and I really want to repay the club by playing some good footy.
“I’m excited about the direction the club is going in. We’ve got a great core of young to mid-tier players. There’s also some really valuable leaders at the top end, so I think the future is looking really bright.”
READ MORE: Taberner excited by forward options
Taberner appeared on the verge of a breakout year in 2018 before a foot injury saw him miss 13 games through the middle of the season.
He said that returning for the final four games helped set him up for a successful pre-season.
“It was frustrating at the time but I had an opportunity to get back and that gave me a little bit of momentum,” Taberner said.
“I’ve been able to do almost all of the pre-season, which is always good from a personal point of view.
“As a team, we’re showing some exciting signs, especially with how we’re moving the ball and we’re seeing some great growth from a few of our younger players and I'm really enjoying the environment.”
List manager Mark Micallef said he was looking forward to Taberner’s contributions continuing on and off the field.
“It’s very exciting to have Matthew commit to the football club for a further two years,” Micallef said.
“He’s going to play a really strong and pivotal part of our forward line.
“His professionalism and dedication to getting the best out of himself is unparalleled and he sets an excellent example to his teammates.
"We can’t wait to see what he can do for Fremantle in the future.”