Sydney fan favourite Tom Papley has committed his future to the Swans, signing a five-year contract extension which will keep him in the red and white until at least 2028.

The livewire forward would have entered next season as a free agent under his current contract, but a new long-term deal all but ensures he will be a Swan for life.

The durable 26-year-old, who was originally taken in the 2015 Rookie Draft, has established himself as one of the best small forwards in the competition and a central part of Sydney’s forward set-up, booting 32 goals this season.

The 2021 All Australian said he is thrilled to commit to the Swans for the long term.

“We have a very exciting group coming through, I’m really looking forward to the next five years,” Papley said.

“The contract didn’t take that long to be honest; it all happened pretty quickly during the finals and got it signed off.”

“One of the main reasons I signed on was because of this young group. They’re still learning, and I think only half played in their first final this year, so we can’t wait to get back to pre-season and start working hard again.”

Sydney Swans Executive General Manager – Football, Charlie Gardiner, said Papley’s contract extension is an exciting announcement for the club.

“We are thrilled that Tom has committed his future to Sydney,” Gardiner said.

“Few players are as invested and committed to seeing their football club succeed as Tom Papley. We all know he is an exceptional player and has well and truly established himself as one of the best small forwards in the competition but equally impressive is his passion and care for the club.

“Tom has enormous respect amongst his teammates and our coaches, and we just love the energy he brings to the team, the way he approaches his football and his drive to improve the team and the players around him. He continues to emerge as a leader of our Club and we’re delighted that he will be a part of the Club’s long term future.”

As well as averaging almost two goals a game in 2022, Papley was also ranked fifth in the competition in goal assists per game, justifying him being named in the All-Australian squad of 40 after playing only 16 home-and-away games.

In his 141 games with the Swans so far, Papley has twice won Sydney’s leading goalkicker (2019, 2020) and was selected in the All-Australian team in 2021.