Lachie Schultz will trigger a 12-month contract extension on Saturday night against Richmond as the Club hopes to negotiate a longer-term deal with the small forward, according to Executive General Manager of Football Peter Bell.
Schultz is currently contracted until the end of the 2023 season, with the trigger ensuring he remains in purple for 2024.
The forward has kicked 17 goals across 11 games in 2023, highlighted by a four-goal performance against Sydney and a three-goal effort against Gold Coast.
His start to the season franks a career-best year in 2022, kicking 30 goals in 17 games to place in the top five of the Doig Medal as well as earning his first Glendinning-Allan Medal.
Bell said that Fremantle’s round 13 clash with the Tigers would trigger Schultz’s extension clause.
"Lachie is a really valuable player for us and has been a really consistent performer and a really durable player," Bell told ABC Sports Talk.
"Provided he gets through the warm-up this afternoon, he will actually play a game that will trigger a contract extension for him for 2024."
While Schultz may now have certainty for 2024, Bell confirmed that the Club would seek to secure the 25-year-old on a longer-term deal.
Bell praised the sharpshooter for his form over a prolonged period that has seen Schultz perform above and beyond his rookie contract status at Fremantle.
Saturday night’s clash with the Tigers will mark Schultz’s 79th AFL game since making his debut in 2019 and is on track to play his 100th milestone game next year.
"We're in discussions with Lachie and his management that we would like to extend that further and we are confident that we will be able to do that in the coming months," Bell said.
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