The Brisbane Lions will hang on to young utility Marco Paparone, on Saturday announcing he had signed a two-year contract extension.
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His commitment is likely to come as a relief to the club - his father died of lung cancer in 2014 and some fans feared he would want to return home to WA to be with family.
Greater Western Sydney youngster Cam McCarthy was this week granted indefinite leave to spend time with his own family in Perth, after the club refused to trade him to a WA club at the end of last year.
Paparone played all 22 games for the Lions in 2015, when they finished second from the bottom of the ladder.
"It's very exciting. It's a great opportunity to continue my footy here with this young group and hopefully we can build something", Paparone told the club's website.
Brisbane picked Paparone No.23 overall in the 2012 draft.
