Geelong fans can breathe a sigh of relief, after confirmation that premiership small forward Tyson Stengle has chosen to remain a Cat.
The 25-year-old officially signed a five-year contract extension on Sunday, locking him into Geelong until at least 2029.
His signature comes after Stengle turned his back on a mega deal tabled by St Kilda, who were keen to lure him to Linton Street as a free agent at season’s end.
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Stengle turned down a reported $4.5 million deal offered to him by the Saints, opting for the Cats’ reported $3.5 million deal.
His journey to the top was far from easy, with Geelong handing him a lifeline after Adelaide turned their back on the once-troubled star.
The small forward began his career with the Tigers in 2017, before being traded to Adelaide to pursue opportunities back home with the Crows.
He was delisted by Adelaide at the start of the 2021 season due to a string of off field offences.
Stengle managed to turn his fortune around with the help of Adelaide superstar Eddie Betts, landing at Geelong at the start of the 2022 season.
He would not only go on to kick an impressive 53 goals and cement his spot in Geelong’s best 22, but also collect a maiden All-Australian blazer and be a key cog in the Cats 81-point premiership victory over Sydney.
“Proud to be staying at Geelong, couldn’t be more grateful!,” Stengle wrote in an Instagram post.
“Thanks to everyone who has believed in me and helped me along the way.”
Stengle’s commitment to the Cats came after the pressure on his decision was alleviated by coach Chris Scott, who declared that the club simply wanted what was best for him, even if that meant elsewhere.
“Tyson’s done the work. We gave him the opportunity, but that was the opportunity to walk in the door and I’d like to think we’ve helped him,” Scott said earlier in June.
“But we’re not the sort of club that says, ‘hey mate you owe us because we gave you the opportunity’.”