St Kilda has re-signed key midfield pair Tom Hickey and Luke Dunstan on Wednesday, with the ruckman and inside midfielder inking two-year extensions that will tie them to the club until at least the end of 2019.
Hickey, 25, produced a career-best season in 2016, playing all but the final two games of the year to finish 8th in the Trevor Barker Award and establish himself as one of the best emerging ruckmen in the AFL.
Dunstan, 22, added another 18 games in his third season at Linen House Centre, taking his tally to 53 games. He suffered a serious shoulder injury late in the year, but not before he continued to establish himself as an important cog in the Saints engine room.
St Kilda Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, Ameet Bains, said the club was thrilled to secure the future of two integral members of the midfield, especially after the successful acquisitions of Koby Stevens and Jack Steele during the trade period.
“On the back of adding depth and class to our midfield during the recent trade period, it's also critical we retain the talent on our list,” Bains told saints.com.au on Wednesday afternoon.
“We feel we have done that by adding these two signatures and securing their future at our club. We’ve got no doubt they will play an important role in our future success.”
Bains said the club was confident Hickey has the tools in the shed and the scope for plenty more growth, following a breakout season by the former Gold Coast Suns ruckman.
“We were thrilled with the progress Tom made last season. We think he still has plenty of improvement left in him and could become one of the elite ruckmen in the AFL,” Bains said.
“With his athleticism, his endurance and his ability to play forward we think he has the tools to be a very good player and that’s what we really hope for with him.”
After arriving at the Saints as a first-round pick at the end of 2013, Dunstan has proven to be a reliable contributor at AFL level. Bains praised the South Australian’s work in tight and said the next step for Dunstan was to become a more offensive weapon.
“Luke has made a really impressive start to his AFL career. He has quickly established himself as an important member of the midfield with his grunt work inside and his durability seeing him play over 50 games already,” he said.
“We hope he remains an integral part of our midfield around the contest and that he continues to grow offensively too.”
