North Melbourne have confirmed emerging forward Charlie Comben has inked a two-year extension with the Kangaroos, keeping him at Arden Street until the end of the 2025 season.
Unsigned for next year heading into the 2023 season - Comben's fourth in the blue and white - the 21-year-old had waited until the middle of the year to confirm his future, signing on the dotted line this week to extend his nine career games.
The young tall has battled numerous setbacks since being drafted to the Roos in 2019, with 2023, unfortunately, no different after sustaining a long-term ankle injury that is expected to keep him sidelined for at least another month.
Comben showed plenty of promise across the opening seven rounds of this season, booting four goals and recording career highs across the board to take the next step in his career.
Comben's signature adds to a busy year of re-signings at North Melbourne, with Jy Simpkin, Nick Larkey, Harry Sheezel, George Wardlaw, Jackson Archer, Josh Goater and Miller Bergman all inking new deals in 2023.
โWe are thrilled to add Charlie to the list of players to recommit to the club this season,โ North Melbourne talent manager Brady Rawlings said.
โWhile injuries have restricted Charlie to only nine senior games during his time at the club, he has impressed with his resilience and competitive nature and has a lot of potential with his aerial strength and agility that belies his 199cm frame.
โWe see Charlie as an important part of our forward line, and we are excited about what he can bring to it as he continues his development over the next two years.โ
The Roos are hopeful Comben will make his return to AFL level later into the back end of the season, pairing with Larkey to form a threatening one-two punch in attack.
