Fremantle have fought off strong interest in Sean Darcy from rival AFL clubs, signing the ruck star to a six-year contract extension.
Victorian product Darcy had been in the sights of clubs in his home state, most notably Geelong, and would have been a free agent at the end of next year.
But the 25-year-old has committed his long-term future to the Dockers with a deal that ties him to the WA outfit until the end of 2030.
Fremantle missed the finals last season - a poor result considering their semi-final appearance a year earlier - but Darcy is excited by the club's future.
"We just need to get stuck into it and I can't wait for the season to start," he said.
"I've got full belief in our team, our list and what we're building and everything going forward.
"We had a bit of a disappointing year last season and we're not shying away from it.
"Everyone is on board that we need to be better, we need to improve and we need to improve quickly.
"We're trying to get the best out of each other and we're working hard every day to push each other, so it's really exciting."
Darcy's 2023 campaign ended at round 18 when he sustained an ankle injury, which required surgery.
The Dockers' 2021 best-and-fairest winner is hopeful of returning to full training in January.
"It's going really well at the moment, I've had a good last couple of weeks," Darcy said.
"I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I've got a really important next four weeks that's going to set me up."
Darcy's contract extension matches that of defender Brennan Cox, while Luke Jackson and Jye Amiss are signed until 2029.
"It's pretty exciting that me and Coxy got drafted together as 18-year-olds," Darcy said.
"To have him and me sign for that long just shows how much the club has done for us both personally and how much we want to invest back into the football club."
