St Kilda have seen enough from draftee Max King in his first few months at the club to tie him down with a two-year contract extension.
King will now remain at the Saints until at least the end of 2022.
The key position played was selected with the fourth pick in the 2018 draft but his debut won't come early in the season as he continues to recover from an ACL injury last year.
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"I’m really excited to re-sign with the Saints," King told saints.com.au.
"I’ve been embraced by the whole club since being drafted. I can’t wait to get to full fitness to repay the faith shown in me.
"I hope this is just the start of a long career here."
King, whose twin Brother Ben was selected by Gold Coast just two picks later, has impressed with his attitude despite not being in full training at Moorabbin.
Saints list manager sung the youngster's praises following the announcement of his new deal.
"In the short period of time that Max has been with our club, everyone has been extremely impressed not just by his talent, but the professionalism with which he approaches his work, his love for the game and his desire to be the best possible player he can be," Gallagher said.
"These are all traits that we want to encourage and reward at St Kilda, so we are very excited that he has so quickly chosen to extend his contract with us for a further two years.
"As desperate as Max is to get out on to the field, we will continue to be patient with his rehabilitation, as we see him being a key pillar in the long term future of our club."
St Kilda get their 2019 campaign underway at Marvel Stadium against the Suns on Sunday afternoon.
