Carlton have confirmed senior defender Mitch McGovern has signed a new two-year contract to remain at Princes Park until the end of the 2025 season.
McGovern's first deal with Carlton, signed in 2018 following a trade from Adelaide, was on course to come to an end this year - with the Blues backman having played 58 games for his second club since.
The 28-year-old has enjoyed arguably his best season in the navy blue in 2023, playing 18 games (the most in a single season since his debut year with Adelaide) to average 16.5 disposals, 4.72 marks and 4.67 rebound 50s as part of a solid rearguard under coach Michael Voss.
The Blues have looked to reward McGovern with a new multi-year extension, announcing on Tuesday that the forward-turned-defender has recommitted for a further two seasons.
โIt is terrific to have Mitch re-sign with the Club until 2025. He's had a really solid year as part of our defence, his most consistent with the Club so far,โ Carlton list boss Nick Austin said in a club statement.ย
โMitch has slotted seamlessly into the backline since making the move, his intercept marking and ball use have been terrific assets to the way we want to play.
โWe can't wait to see what the next two years hold for Mitch at the Blues as he continues to hone his defensive craft and take his game to another level.โ
McGovern's re-signing comes in a busy window of retention for the Blues, who have also managed to lock away Tom De Koning, Nic Newman, Brodie Kemp, Alex Cincotta, Dom Akuei and Hudson O'Keeffe during the back end of this season.
The club's latest re-signing leaves David Cuningham,ย Ed Curnow,ย Paddy Dow,ย Sam Durdin,ย Lachie Fogarty,ย Josh Honey,ย Caleb Marchbank, Sam Philp,ย Lachie Plowman and Jack Silvagni still without deals for 2024.
McGovern is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury and will be in consideration for selection as early as this weekend when Carlton face GWS at Marvel Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Western Australian has played a total of 106 career games across eight seasons in the AFL.
