Versatile midfielder Connor Blakely said the prospect of future success played an important part in him deciding to re-sign with Fremantle for a further three seasons.
Blakely’s contract extension, which was announced on Wednesday, will see the talented midfielder/defender in Freo colours until at least the end of the 2022 season.
The 23-year-old said he could see the team achieving the ultimate success in the coming seasons.
“Most definitely, if that wasn’t the case then I wouldn’t be here for the next few years,” Blakely said.
“Without a doubt, (a premiership is) something that we’re all striving for and we have a bunch of really good young players on our list that are very dedicated and determined to get a lot of success at this football club.
“The coaching staff are (also) on the same page, it’s about delivering it on a consistent basis in the future.”
Blakely said it was an easy decision to re-sign with the club, joining the likes of Joel Hamling, Griffin Logue, Matt Taberner, Ethan Hughes, Taylin Duman, Sam Switkowski, Sam Sturt and Jason Carter as re-signees this year.
“It wasn’t tough at all, my management and the footy club worked well together,” Blakely said.
“I was really happy with the deal and I’m really pleased to be continuing on at the Fremantle Football Club.
“I’m really looking forward to the next three years and the rest of this year, to see what it holds for us.”
Blakely said there were a number of factors that went into his decision to commit, including having the chance to continue to work with senior coach Ross Lyon.
“It’s a combination of your own personal form and how you fit in at the club, your teammates at the club, how you gel with everyone and also your location and where you’re from,” Blakely said.
“Being a WA boy, it was a pretty simple decision for me to stay here, especially with this lifestyle and weather we have over here.
“This year, we haven’t gone as well as we hoped, especially after what we showed over the first 12 rounds.
“We have dropped off a little bit, but I know we’re definitely going to finish off the year well and look to progress into next year and the year after that.
“Team success is something that I hold as one of the most important things about making this decision.
“Based on the people that we have and the coaching staff that we have, I definitely see success coming in the near future.”
