Sam De Koning has inked a two year contract extension with Geelong, a deal that will see him remain at GMHBA Stadium until at least the end of the 2025 season.
The emerging key defender’s current contract was due to expire at the end of 2023, itself an extension on the deal signed after he was taken with the 19th pick of the 2019 national draft. The latest agreement will take him into a sixth season with the Club.
After registering the one appearance in his first two seasons at the Club, the 202cm De Koning had a breakout season in 2022, playing 23 of a possible 25 games, including three finals.
A revelation in the Club’s backline, De Koning became one of the competition’s most exciting young key position players, quelling the influence of the opposition’s best tall forward each week.
The astonishing climax to the 21-year-old’s Premiership-winning season was punctuated with a second-place finish in the NAB AFL Rising Star award and his first ever AFL goal in the dying stages of the Grand Final.
“I love the Club and I’m excited to sign a new deal and continue to play for Geelong. The Club is filled with great people and it’s just a great organisation to be part of,” De Koning said.
“We have a lot of good young players coming through and a great group of senior players who continue to teach us a lot. The Club has got a great culture and I want to be part of it.
“It’s been a whirlwind 12 months and my focus is to now get back to work, come into training with the same attitude and be hungry to improve.
“I know there’s areas I can improve on to take my game to another level and I’m excited to come in every day and work on those things to become the player I know I can be and reach my full potential.”
Geelong’s Head of List Management Andrew Mackie said De Koning was an important part of Geelong’s future.
“Sam has worked extremely hard in his three seasons at the Club to give himself the best chance to be the best he can be.
“He played an important role for the team in 2022 and I have no doubt he has the hunger to continue to work on his craft, which is an exciting prospect for all of us at the Geelong Football Club, and for Sam himself.
“Sam is a great young man and a popular teammate, and we can’t wait to see him continue to grow as a player and person over the next couple of years.”
