Melbourne have fought off competition from north of the border to sign midfielder Aaron vandenBerg to a new contract.
The 26-year-old was out of contract and Sydney were thought to be keen to bring him to the club.
Melbourne announced on Wednesday that he had signed a three-year contract extension, keeping him in red and blue until at least the end of 2021.
He’s staying! 🙌
— Melbourne FC (@melbournefc) October 10, 2018
Aaron vandenBerg has put pen to paper, signing a new deal with the red + blue. 🖊
📝: https://t.co/O9O3j0tNcZ pic.twitter.com/vrfkfBzmUB
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Dees footy manager Josh Mahoney discussed the news on the club website.
"We are very happy that Aaron has decided to remain a Melbourne player and agreed to a new deal," Mahoney said.
"The last two years have been very challenging personally and we understand that this was a tough decision for Aaron, given his family situation and the attraction of moving to Sydney."
VandenBerg played seven games in 2018 after not playing at all in 2017 due to ongoing ankle and heel injuries.
He returned round 20 and cemented himself in Simon Goodwin's side, playing an important role in their finals campaign.
VandenBerg was born in Perth but grew up in Tathra on the NSW south coast before moving to Canberra after he was overlooked in the draft.
He was taken in 2015 rookie draft and has played 35 senior games.
