Essendon Football Club is pleased to announce young ruckman, Sam Draper, will Don the Sash for a further two years.

The new deal will see Draper remain a Bomber until at least the end of the 2019 season.

Draper said he was focused on another big pre-season under John Worsfold.

“I’m thrilled to commit to Essendon for another two years,” Draper said.

“We have a great group of players who are driven towards achieving success, we’ve built a great environment to develop and learn, and I’m eager to get stuck into training and keep learning over the pre-season.

“I believe the Club is heading in the right direction, and that motivates me to keep challenging myself and working towards an AFL debut.”

It’s been a dramatic rise for Draper. The 19 year-old made the transition from soccer to football in February 2016, and in the space of ten months demonstrated he had the potential to play AFL.

Senior Coach, John Worsfold, said Draper has shown incredible promise in his first year at Essendon.

“We are really happy with the progress Sam has made this season,” Worsfold said.

“With the hard work he put in all year, towards the end of the season he was playing well in the ruck in the VFL and proved to be a tough competitor for the opposition.

“At only 19, and with the progress he has made, he has an shown that he has the drive and ability to develop into a player that can compete at AFL level.”

List & Recruiting Manager, Adrian Dodoro, said Draper was an important addition to where the Club was heading.

“Sam has shown considerable development throughout his time in the VFL,” Dodoro said.

“His attitude on and off the field is highly commendable and he’s showing all the right signs that he’s making significant progress.

“We believe Sam has the ability to make it, and we look forward to seeing him put in the hard work over the pre-season.”

Draper was recruited by Essendon in the 2017 Rookie Draft.