Essendon Football Club is pleased to announce Jake Long will continue to be part of the comeback story after signing a one-year deal to remain at the Bombers until the end of 2017.

The son of club legend, Michael Long, arrived at the Bombers via pick 47 in the 2014 AFL Rookie Draft and is a product of the Club’s ‘James Hird Academy.’

Long said he was excited to have locked away the new contract ahead of the Club’s upcoming pre-season campaign.

“It was a dream come true to play my first senior game of football this year and I’m really grateful to the Club for giving me the opportunity to continue my career next season,” Long said.

“As a team, we know we have a lot of hard work ahead of us, but I think we showed some exciting signs this year.

“The coaches have been really clear about the areas of my game I need to work on and I’m already looking forward to getting stuck into another pre-season with the rest of my teammates.”

Senior Coach, John Worsfold, said the Club was impressed with Long’s development this season.

“Jake has worked incredibly hard on the training track, his determination to improve as a player has been outstanding,” Worsfold said.

“He is wiry and fast, a strong tackler, has a lot of raw talent and is well-respected by his teammates both on and off the field.

“Another strong pre-season will give him the opportunity to improve his game further, so we’re really pleased he’ll continue his career at Essendon.”

Essendon List and Recruiting Manager, Adrian Dodoro, said the 20-year-old’s re-commitment was a great show of faith in the Club’s player development programs.

“This is another proud moment for Essendon and it continues the wonderful history and tradition of the great Long name at our Club,” Dodoro said.

“Jake is a driven young man who is determined to forge his own career in the red and black and we’re excited to see what he will produce in 2017.”

After consistent games in the VFL this year, Long made his much anticipated debut in Round 21 against Gold Coast at Etihad Stadium.