Richmond midfielder Jack Ross will remain at the Swinburne Centre for at least another two years, having signed on with the Club this week.
The fresh contract will see Ross, who has played 68 senior matches across six years, tied to Richmond until the end of the 2026 season.
Ross had a career-best year in 2023, averaging 18 disposals across 19 games, and had started 2024 in a similar vein before being sidelined by a delicate foot stress injury.
Despite a vastly interrupted pre-season, Ross helped to change the course of the game in Opening Round after he was injected as the substitute at half time.
Ross then averaged 21 touches across the next month of football before being ruled out due to his foot issue.
The 23-year-old, who joined Richmond with the 43rd pick at the 2018 AFL National Draft, has shown ability to contribute across various midfield roles in the past six years.
Ross broke into a formidable lineup for seven senior games in each of his first two seasons at the Club, which were premiership campaigns in 2019 and 2020.
The youngster received more opportunities through the 2021 season, including seven games as the substitute, before taking his game to the next level in 2022 as a regular AFL player.
Richmond General Manager, Football Talent, Blair Hartley, said that Ross could enter the next two years with great confidence despite an injury-affected year.
“Jack has impressed us with his application to his game and continual improvement across his time at the Club,” he said.
“Although his injury was unfortunate, he has shown great professionalism throughout the year.
“Jack is nearing full fitness, which is exciting. It will be great to see him back on the field very soon and contributing to us across the next two years and beyond.”
Ross added that it had been a challenging year.
"This year was not exactly what I drew up at the start of the year, but to have this (contract) now is definitely light at the end of the tunnel," he said.
"I am loving my time here, and I am just stoked to continue it for another two years.
"Hopefully, I can sneak a couple of games in (before the end of the year) and head into the preseason with a healthy body and can get after it."
Ross will enter a seventh and eighth season at Richmond through the contract extension.