SAM WALSH is proud to be Bound By Blue after putting pen to paper on a two-year contract extension today.

Fresh from being named the Round 4 NAB AFL Rising Star nominee, the exciting 18-year-old has signed on until at least the end of the 2022 season.

It is a further boost for a young Carlton midfield that is building for the future, with Walsh joining Patrick Cripps (2021), Zac Fisher (2021), Sam Petrevski-Seton (2021) and Paddy Dow (2022) who have already committed their futures at the Club.

Walsh entered his first AFL season amid much fanfare after an outstanding pre-season since being taken with the No.1 pick in last year’s NAB AFL Draft.

Four games into his career, he has taken the wave of public adoration in his stride, averaging more than 26 disposals per game whilst amassing a total of 20 clearances and 17 inside 50s.

His eye-catching ability to win the ball is matched by a fearlessness at the contest, gathering almost 12 contested possessions a game.

Walsh said he could not be happier to be living his AFL dream at the Blues.

“The Club has welcomed me with open arms from the moment I got drafted,” Walsh said.

“The coaches, staff and entire club provide us with everything we need to get the very best out of ourselves, which I have loved. It just motivates you to get better every day.

“What struck me straight away was the elite standards our Club has in place, driven by ‘Crippa’ and ‘Doc’. That has us focused as a young group to fast-track our development and achieve success together.”

View this post on Instagram @sammy_walshy you star! #BoundByBlue A post shared by Carlton Football Club (@carlton_fc) on Apr 15, 2019 at 3:05am PDT

GM of List Management and Strategy Stephen Silvagni praised Walsh’s immediate professionalism since walking through the doors of Ikon Park.

“We could not have asked much more of Sam with the way he has approached his football from the moment he walked through the door back in November,” Silvagni said.

“From that day on, his sole focus has been to make himself the best player he can possibly be for the Carlton Football Club.

“He is an impressive young player and a really quality person, so we are delighted Blues fans can now watch Sam and our young midfield develop together into exciting players for Carlton over the next few years.”