Peter Wright has extended his contract with the Gold Coast SUNS in a deal that sees him recommit to the club until the end of 2017.
The 203cm, key positon player, said the time was right to extend his future with the SUNS.
“I’m rapt to be re-signing with Gold Coast, I really felt now was the best time to extend my contract with the SUNS,” Wright said.
“This gives me the chance to become the player that both I, and the club, want me to be. I’m incredibly grateful to the club for their commitment and belief in me and I can’t wait to get out there and play some good footy.”
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Wright reinforced he is enjoying his time on the Gold Coast and was looking forward to playing his role in earning respect for the SUNS on and off the field.
“I’m loving my time on the Gold Coast, we have a really close group of players and we are all excited in the direction the club, especially this pre-season.
“As a team we know we still have plenty of improvement and hard work ahead of us and we believe this year is an opportunity for us to gain greater respect on and off the field and demonstrate that we are prepared to make the sacrifices required to be a strong AFL club.”
GC SUNS List & Strategy Manager Scott Clayton welcomed Wright’s signature and credited his manager, Anthony McConville, for facilitating a smooth negotiation.
“We are rapt that Peter has re-committed to the club until the end of 2017,” Clayton said.
"We think that retaining our players has been helped by some major changes that have occurred at the club since late in the 2015 season. We made some tough calls on the player list and in establishing a high performance unit under Justin Cordy that is getting the players fitter, stronger and confident in their own bodies.
"But the single biggest difference is the work the players, led by the leadership group, have done in focusing on the expectations of the club and the Gold Coast community and what they need to do to deliver on those expectations.
"The growth has been incredible. Our leaders are united in accepting the responsibility to build a really healthy culture that not only delivers success on and off the field but ensures all young players who come to the Gold Coast leave as better people. They are holding each other to account on and off the field and you can not only see the difference but you can feel it. Players want to be a part of something really exciting here."
READ: GC SUNS confirm new leadership model
Recruited from the Calder Cannons and Moonee Valley football club’s in Melbourne, the SUNS picked up Wright with selection eight in the 2014 NAB AFL Draft.
Wright played three matches in 2015, making his AFL debut against the Sydney Swans at Metricon Stadium in Round 10.
The forward spent the majority of his debut season developing his craft at NEAFL level, where he booted 36 goals in 15 games, including a bag of six (against Sydney University), five (Brisbane) and three hauls of four (UWS Giants, Southport and Ainslie).
