Josh Ward has put pen to paper on a new two-year deal with Hawthorn, committing to the club until at least the end of 2025.
Ward was drafted by the Hawks with Pick 7 in the 2021 AFL National Draft, making his debut in brown and gold in Round 1, 2022.
The 19-year-old managed 14 games in his impressive maiden season, averaging 19 disposals and 3.8 marks per game.
Mark McKenzie, Hawthorn's National List and Recruiting Manager, said that securing Ward's signature for a further two years was great news for the club.
“It's really pleasing to keep Josh in the brown and the gold, he is a really important part of our future,” McKenzie said.
“Josh's talents have been obvious since first walking through the doors here at Hawthorn, but it's been his work ethic and relentless determination that led to him taking some big strides in his first season.
“At just 19, there's no limit to Josh's ceiling and we are eager to see him reach his full potential at the Hawks.”
Ward's new deal comes amid news that he will spend some time on the sidelines after dealing with a hip/groin issue prior to Christmas, though is expected to rejoin the main training group in the next fortnight.
“Over Christmas Josh was on a modified program, just to help him get back on track and we're now just pushing his loads up at the moment,” Hawthorn's high performance manager Peter Burge told the club's website.
“We're pushing him pretty hard away from the group and anticipate he'll be back training with the group over the next fortnight."