Essendon defender Marty Gleeson has signed a two year contract extension keeping him at the Bombers until then end of 2020.

The young defender said he was thrilled to don the sash for a further two years.

โ€œIโ€™m absolutely stoked to sign on for another two years. I love the club, I love the boys and I think weโ€™re going in the right direction, so I canโ€™t wait to see what we can achieve over the next few years,โ€ Gleeson told essendonfc.com.au.

โ€œWeโ€™ve got a lot of players around that 22-25 age bracket, so hopefully we can keep working hard together and we can continue to build towards something special.

โ€œObviously it is hard being injured at the moment but thatโ€™s part of footy. Iโ€™m just looking forward to hopefully getting back to playing soon.โ€

Essendon picked up Gleeson with pick 53 in the 2012 draft and he has played 69 games since debuting in round one of 2014.

The 23-year-old is yet to play this year after injuring his ankle in the JLT pre-season series.
Gleeson has solidified his spot in the Bomber's backline over the last few seasons and coach John Worsfold says he is an important player for the club's future.

โ€œMartyโ€™s form last year and during the pre-season was outstanding,โ€ Worsfold told the club's website.

โ€œHe has grown into a great young clubman. Marty has inspired many with his attitude towards rehabilitation and is doing everything he can to return to the field.

โ€œHe has become an important asset to our backline and we are excited to see what he can achieve at Essendon over the next few years.โ€