Essendon have secured the services of former Pick 10 Zach Reid until the end of 2025, with the key defender signing a three-year extension with the club on Monday.
Despite a poor run of luck with injuries and illness, Reid remains a promising prospect with his combination of size and athleticism a top commodity when building a strong back six, especially when developing a young list.
“I’m so pumped to have signed on with the club, and very grateful for the opportunity to commit for a further three years,” Reid said, via essendonfc.com.au.
“We have a lot of development ahead of us and we know the wins will come, but we’re all really hungry to stick together and build something special under ‘Truck’ (senior coach Ben Rutten).”
When prompted, Adrian Dodoro, the general manager of list and recruiting at Essendon, praised the young backman's ability.
“This is a great signing for our club, Zach is a wonderful young man and has already impressed us with how he carries himself,” Dodoro said.
“For such a tall player, he has wonderful balance and strong kicking skills. He is quiet and unassuming but has an inner competitive streak that will serve him well throughout what we believe will be a long career for the Bombers.”
Given the current scrutiny of the Bombers' lacklustre season, in particular over the past several weeks, it's encouraging to see that the club can garner such a long-term commitment from a highly touted draftee.
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Reid's signature also coincides with the recent re-signings of speedster Nick Hind, bargain buy Nic Martin, backman Jayden Laverde and onballer Sam Durham.
Fellow top 10 2020 National Draft selection Archie Perkins also recently re-signed with the club on a new two-year deal.