Robbie Gray celebrates a goal against Hawthorn. Photo: Wayne Ludbey. Source: News Corp Australia
PORT Adelaide has locked away electrifying midfielder/forward Robbie Gray to the end of 2018 after he signed a three-year contract extension to remain at Alberton.
The reigning club champion was already contracted until the end of next season but has shunned the potential lure of free agency by committing to the Power.
He is now signed to Port Adelaide until 2018 along with his good mate and captain Travis Boak.
Speaking at a press conference at Alberton this morning, Gray said the decision to stay at Port was never in doubt.
"Not really, I've spent a lot of time here and still with a year to run on my contract I'm really happy to extend it.
"I'm really excited about the last couple of years we've had and the future going forward.
"It was always going to be done at some stage but I never really thought about the timing of it too much ... I wasn't thinking about leaving and it was always going to be done at some stage.
"This will take me through until I'm 30 and that will be 12 years at the footy club and I definitely see myself as a one club player. You never know what's going to happen in the future but I'm here for another four years now and really looking forward to that."
The news is a major boost for Port Adelaide on the eve of its training camp to Dubai with the players set to fly out on Thursday.
Gray enjoyed a career-best season in 2014 in which he won the AFL Coaches Association 'champion player' award, earned All-Australian honours and won Port Adelaide's John Cahill Medal as its best-and-fairest.
The 26-year-old averaged 24 disposals and more than 1.5 goals a game in his 25 matches which ended with a thrilling preliminary final loss to Hawthorn at the MCG.
Gray said he was pleased to find "consistency" this season but vowed he and the team were determined to get even better in 2015.
"We're not satisfied with where we're at, we're going to attack this pre-season harder than ever to take our game to another level," Gray said.
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley said Gray's improvement this season reflected the growth in the wider playing group.
"He helped set the standard for the whole team and I'm looking forward to him continuing in the same vein this upcoming season," Hinkley said.
Gray has emerged as one of Port's greatest ever draft steals with the Power grabbing him with Pick No. 55 in the 2006 national draft.
He showed flashes of brilliance before missing almost the entire 2012 season with a serious knee injury, but made a strong return in 2013 and this year became one of the best players in the competition.
His brilliant season prompted Hinkley to make a significant statement about Gray's standing in the game just before Brownlow Medal night.
"Robbie has just had an unbelievable year and if people who are controlling the game have got good vision they will actually see an interesting result Monday night because he was clearly the best player in the competition this year," Hinkley said.
Port Adelaide also used the occasion to also announce Oak as a new premier partner under a multi-year deal.
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