Fremantle rising star Hayden Young has secured his future as a Docker for life, signing a six-year contract extension to remain at the Club until 2033.

The contract makes Young the longest-contracted player in the AFL.

The 23-year-old midfield gun from Victoria expressed his deep connection to the Club and the city he now calls home.

“It’s super special. When I arrived at the Football Club, I was welcomed in really well. They obviously took a punt on me at pick 7 as an 18-year-old who had never travelled to Fremantle and didn’t know much about the Club,” Young joked.

Fremantle Head of Player Personnel David Walls said the Club is delighted to sign Young, who would have become a free agent at the end of his previous deal that took him to the end of 2027.

“Coming across from Victoria, he’s so invested in the Fremantle Football Club,” said Walls.

“He’s a young leader who helps drives standards and we couldn’t be more excited to sign him as a Docker for life.

“Moving into the midfield he would’ve become highly sought after as a free agent and his reputation around the country has gone through the roof with that switch.

“Just his work ethic to elevate his game. He’s now a goalkicking midfielder which is extremely valuable and he also went forward last season.

Young said the decision to extend his contract was "a no-brainer", driven by a burning desire to lift Fremantle’s first premiership cup.

“I’m really optimistic about the direction we are heading as a Club, and I really want to be a part of that going forward,” Young said.

“I’ve settled into life in Perth, and I certainly don’t want to shift and move now that I’ve settled in. I’ve got a house, live near the beach – it’s a pretty good lifestyle to live. So to know that I’ll be here for the next nine years is a bit crazy, but also super exciting. I’m stoked.

“When I got drafted, I had never been to Fremantle, didn’t know anything about it, but I suppose as a young kid I admired players who played at one club.

“I also admired players that had to go through adversity, put in the hard yards, and got the rewards toward the back end of their career.

“We’ve had a few frustrating seasons where we’ve been close but haven’t quite got there yet. I certainly feel like we’re heading in the right direction, and it will be so much more rewarding when we do reach the pinnacle after being there through the hard yards and putting in all the effort.

“We want to be the first players to hold up a premiership cup for Fremantle and bring it back to the town.”

Young's transition from defence to midfield this season has been a significant development in his career, with the influence of Fremantle 376-game legend David Mundy playing a role in this shift.

“I idolised Dave (Mundy) when I first came to the Club, and I transitioned into the midfield this year, which is something he also did as a youngster,” Young shared.

“I remember when he left the Club, he sort of said to me, ‘I’d love to see you in the midfield.’ I was pretty stoked when he left that there was a spot for me, and I was able to transition in.

“Hopefully I can go close to having a career like the one he had.”

After being named in the All Australian squad for the first time last season, Young is busy planning for 2025.

“The next step for me is to be a consistent player,” he stated.

“I think I showed towards the back end of the year that I found some form and was playing pretty good footy. The goal is to back that up week in, week out, and keep supporting the other mids.

“I feel like we’ve got a really strong midfield group, and we all complement each other really well.”

Young's commitment to Fremantle extends beyond the field, as he expressed his gratitude to the fans.

"I've absolutely loved the Freo family for being so welcoming and so passionate,” he said.

Young's signature adds to a core group of talented players dedicated to bringing success to the port city.