Gary Rohan has committed to the Sydney Swans for three more years, with the livewire forward penning a deal which will see him remain in red and white until the end of 2017.
It’s exciting news for the 22-year-old, who only 12 months ago admitted to being unsure about his playing future during his long and painful recovery from a broken leg suffered in early 2012.
Speaking to SwansTV about his new deal, Rohan said he couldn’t be more thrilled to have signed on with the Swans.
“I’m quite excited,” he said.
“It’s a relief because it means I won’t have to worry about it for the rest of the year.
“Now I can just focus on improving. There are really exciting times ahead.”
The young forward, who hails from Cobden in Victoria’s south west, said the decision to remain in Sydney was an easy one, with the club’s up-and-coming talent and the prospect of playing finals football weighing heavily on his decision.
“We’ve got a very young and exciting side,” he said.
“I think we’ve got a really good chance to play finals in the next few years so those are some of the reasons why I stayed.”
The club’s support over the past 12 months also played a part in Rohan’s decision to remain at the club for three more seasons.
“The club showed so much confidence in me with my leg, so I feel like I owe them a little bit after being out for so long,” he said.
“There was a lot of hard work and that kind of stuff but I just had to stay positive.
“The club was really good through it all and supported me the whole way.”
Since his return to senior football in round 21 last season, the dynamic Swan has gone from strength to strength and has been one of the standout performers throughout this year’s pre-season.
Rohan kicked three goals in last Thursday night’s NAB Challenge clash against West Coast after booting two majors in the Swans’ first pre-season match against GWS in Canberra.
Rohan said he was becoming more confident with every game he played, adding that he felt he was also beginning to really gel with his team mates.
“I feel pretty good,” he said.
“The more I play out there the more confident I get.
“Also, the more I play the more the boys will get used to me as well and hopefully I can kick a couple more goals next time.”
With less than 30 senior games to his name, Rohan said his goal in 2014 was to remain on the park and to stay injury free.
“I’ve only played 27 games so far, so hopefully I can build on that and hopefully I can go well and have no more injuries,” he said.
“I just want to stay injury free and stay out on the paddock as long as I can.”