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Brisbane young gun Eric Hipwood says he is “stoked” to sign a monster new deal, keeping him at the Lions until at least the end of 2029.
Hipwood, who was still contracted for the 2023 season, put pen to paper on the new six-year deal on Thursday.
The 25-year-old said it was always his goal to remain a one-club player when signing the extension.
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“I jumped at the opportunity to re-sign, to be honest,” Hipwood said.
“One thing that attracted me to stay with the Club is that I have been here since the dark times, so to be able to experience some good times and hopefully some better times coming, it was a pretty easy decision.
“When you listen to some of my idols, in Nick Riewoldt and Jonathon Brown, and what they have spoken about post their careers and how proud they are to be a one-club player, that is something I have always aspired to be, if I had the opportunity.”
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Hipwood missed Brisbane’s 2021 finals push after going down with an ACL injury in July, but returned in time for finals this season – where he kicked nine goals in three games.
“(I’m) stoked to resign with the club long-term and be a one-club player,” he said.
“It’s an exciting place to be and can’t wait for 2023.”
It’s an interesting contract extension from the Lions, given clubs have recently steered away from long-term deals.
The likes of Adam Treloar and Brodie Grundy both departed Collingwood after signing lengthy new deals.
And now the Pies are paying for both Treloar and Grundy to play for other clubs, while the likes of Gold Coast’s Jack Bowes was off-loaded midway through his backended deal to free up salary cap space.
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But the Lions are adamant the long-term deal for Hipwood is the right call.
“Eric deserves this contract extension because he has been instrumental in helping the club get to where it is today,” Lions footy boss Danny Daly said.
“From the moment he arrived at the Brisbane Lions he has continued to work extremely hard to reach his full potential, and it is a real credit to him.
“The way Eric performed during the finals, where he was our leading goal kicker, is really exciting for the club moving forward and no doubt it has our members and fans excited.”
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