Young Sydney midfielder Matt Ling couldn’t be happier about signing on with the Swans for an extra year.

The club secured the signature of Ling through pick 14 in the National Draft last November and the 18-year-old has already managed to turn a two-year deal into three.

He said putting pen to paper made for a great moment because his teammates have welcomed him with open arms.

“I am very stoked. I’m loving Sydney already, I’ve settled in really well and all the guys have been really welcoming,” Ling said.

“I’m looking forward to getting to play with all the boys. I guess that’s what you sign up for.”

Sydney’s first-round draft pick impressed the Swans as a Geelong Falcons product in the TAC Cup through lightning-quick pace and sound football smarts.

He also turned heads in representing Victoria Country in the AFL under 18 championships in 2017 and was touted by Draft experts as a potent line-breaker on the radars of a number of clubs.

Ling will likely play in the NEAFL before running out at AFL level but says the thought of strapping on the boots with the likes Josh Kennedy and Lance Franklin puts the gloss on his contract extension.

“It’s pretty special. You think about it all last year when playing in the TAC Cup and watching the AFL thinking you want to be there.

“Now that I get to train with them every day is pretty special … I couldn’t have asked to go to a better club.”

Ling is locked in with the Swans until at least the end of 2020 and Sydney will front up against cross-town rivals the Giants in their opening NEAFL fixture on the first Saturday of April.