29/07/2010 11:10 AM
Kieren Jack and Heath Grundy have signed new deals that will keep them at Sydney until at least the end of 2013.
Football manager Dean Moore said they were two of the Sydney's rising stars ready to move into the prime of their careers.
"Both boys were in the top 10 in our best and fairest award last year. The club believes it is very important to retain our good players and we are thrilled they want to stay here at the Swans," Moore said.
Twenty three-year-old Jack is Sydney born and bred and is thrilled to be staying at the club he grew up watching as a teenager after taking up Australian rules at school.
"The Sydney Swans gave me a start and they are the main reason why I decided to play footy. They gave me my first opportunity at senior footy so I owe it to the club to stay here and hopefully build something for the future,'' Jack said.
"We saw in the last off-season, with the traded players and recruits that we picked up, that there is obviously a bright future ahead of us," Jack said.
"It's going to be sad to see older players like Brett Kirk go, but it's exciting that there is a young group coming through and we want to build a successful future for ourselves,'' he said.
A gutsy midfielder who initially played tagging roles, he has shown he also has the ability to be a damaging attacking player for the Swans and kick goals at crucial times.
Jack has played 64 games since making his debut in 2007. He came to the Swans in the rookie draft at the end of 2006 and was elevated to the senior list the following season.
Grundy has also come off Sydney's rookie list and developed into a key defender.
The 24-year-old has played 63 games after being rookie-listed by the Swans in 2005 and said he was rapt to secure a three-year deal.
"I want to play as long as I can in Sydney so I was very happy to sign for the next three years,'' Grundy said.
"Kieren is around my age as well so we've sort of grown up here together, and it's great to know we're both committed to the Swans."
"I took a couple of seasons to get going. It was three or four years before I got a regular game but going into defence has been a good thing for me and I'm really enjoying my footy.
"I've had some big jobs on key forwards this year, but there are a few to go yet this season so I'm looking forward to that,'' Grundy said.