Goodes, Jack commit futures to Sydney

Signed and sealed ... Premiership hero Kieren Jack has re-committed to the Swans. Source: Wayne Ludbey / News Limited

The Swans' premiership defence has been given a massive boost with superstars Adam Goodes and Kieren Jack re-signing with the club.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the Swans will announce on Friday that Goodes, a dual Brownlow Medal winner, has committed to the club through to the end of the 2014 season while Jack has signed a new multi-year deal.

The big-name re-signings come just months after the recruitment of Adelaide big man Kurt Tippett.

The challenge now for the Swans will be to secure their other grand final heroes. Lewis Jetta, Josh Kennedy, Daniel Hannebery and Shane Mumford are all in the last year of their contracts.

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Sydney boss Andrew Ireland admits it will take some sacrifice from the players to keep the team together.

"I think it ends up that at some stage that is the case (sacrifice)," Ireland said.

At 33, Goodes has done it all, adding a second premiership medallion in last year's thrilling grand final win over Hawthorn to his two Brownlows. His courage in playing with a ruptured posterior cruciate ligament is now part of Swans folklore.

The 25-year-old Jack represents the future of the club and has developed into one of the competition's most dynamic midfielders. He is also seen as future leadership material and one of the code's most marketable faces in the Harbour City.

After returning the premiership to Sydney, Goodes and Jack deserve to be rewarded after playing important roles in the thrilling win over the Hawks.

Kennedy, Jetta and Hannebery - all among Sydney's best players in the grand final - are next on the Swans re-signing to-do list.

Kennedy was named the club's best and fairest and Jetta and Hannebery both finished in the top 10.

Balancing the books will be tricky given Tippett's earnings of around $800,000 per year.

"We spoke to our leadership group about this (recruiting Kurt Tippett)," Ireland said. "To secure Kurt we were going to have to pay an amount this year to secure him.

"Managers and the players want what they think they are worth. No one cares what anybody else is getting as long as they get what they think they are worth.

"We find with all the discussions we have with players we try to meet their expectations if their expectations are realistic.

"The more elite talent you get the more those players have to recognise that if you want to play in a good side it (the money) is going to be shared around."

The Swans have been hammered by Melbourne clubs in recent weeks over the cost of living allowance included in their salary cap of 9.8 per cent.

Ireland has constantly argued the allowance is entirely justified because of the high cost of living in Sydney and that the Swans have spread the money over their entire list.

The off-season departure of Trent Dennis-Lane (St Kilda), Campbell Heath (Port Adelaide), Matt Spangher (Hawthorn), Mark Seaby and Jarred Moore has created space in the Swans' salary cap.

"We made a million dollars in cuts plus the base salary went up $600,000," Ireland said. "We incurred a cost of about four kids who would be on about $200,000 total."

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Patton among host of Giants to commit

Signed ... Jonathon Patton is one of seven young Giants to pen a new deal with the club. Source: Gregg Porteous / News Limited

Greater Western Sydney Giants have protected their young stars from swooping rivals, confirming seven players have signed new deals with the club.

Jonathon Patton, Dom Tyson, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Andrew Phillips and Sam Frost have committed until the end of the 2015 AFL season while Curtly Hampton and Aidan Corr signed through 2016.

The announcement comes a year after the expansion club retained a host of 13 players including Toby Greene and Jeremy Cameron, who finished second and third respectively in the Giants’ inaugural best and fairest.

Patton, the No.1 selection from 2011 said: “It's a great place to be. I think we are in the best position we can possibly be in and I think success is going to happen sooner rather than later.''

"I'm not going to put a timeline on it but it (success) is going to happen sooner rather than later."

"Everyone wants success, that is why you play the game and I think we are in the best position we can possibly be in.

"The club has done an amazing job to put this list together. We have a lot of talent here. This is a great club to be at. This is a club you don't want to leave."

“I want to thank all the players who have committed to the Giants for the faith they have shown in the club. They clearly believe we have an exciting future and they want to be part of it, Giants chief executive David Matthews said on Wednesday.

"I also want to congratulate football manager Graeme Allan and list manager Stephen Silvagni who have not only recruited these players to the club but had a concerted strategy to develop and retain them.”

The Giants open their 2013 campaign against Sydney on March 30 at ANZ Stadium and will hope to improve on last year's corresponding effort when Kevin Sheedy's troops lost by 94 points in their AFL debut.

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Heskey the next to commit

Dynamic duo ... Emile Heskey and Michael Bridges still going strong.  Source: The Daily Telegraph

They are the star English double act pivotal to the Newcastle Jets chances of reaching the A-League play-offs this season.

But in the build-up to Friday's crucial clash against Brisbane Roar, Emile Heskey and Michael Bridges have revealed their goals are not just short term with the club.

Both can sense the Jets are building towards something special and are keen for their own on-field partnership to stretch beyond the end of the current campaign.

Heskey did not try to hide his desire to stay in Newcastle - a huge boost to the league on the back of Del Piero's imminent re-signing.

He is now waiting on a firm contract offer from the Jets before officially settling his future.

"I've met with the club and they've said they will get something in writing to me so that's what I'm waiting on,"Heskey said.

"I've got a few other options but I'm happy to stay.

"It's been good. It's been refreshing, it's been exciting and the young lads here have really helped me feel that way as well.

"I'm excited about what lies ahead for the lads and the team here."

At 34, Bridges is seven months younger than Heskey and hardly one of the "young lads".

But there is enormous mutual respect between the pair.

Their friendship stretches back 18 years when they roomed together as teenagers while playing for England Under 17's.

Bridges had a role in getting Heskey to the club and says keeping him around is a must.

"He's been fantastic, not only for Newcastle but for the A-League," Bridges said. "And him being here means I'm not the oldest."

As for his own future, Bridges knows he still has work to do to convince coach Gary van Egmond he deserves another contract.

A crowd favourite, he had only his first start for the season alongside Heskey in the 2-0 win over Melbourne Heart a week ago and while he was outstanding, he knows his future rests on more than one game.

"You want to play as long as you can,"Bridges said.

"I love Newcastle. I'm settled here and hopefully one way or another, I can sit down and sort something out with the Jets.

"I'll just use the rest of the season to put my best foot forward and do my best for this football club.

"It will be up to Gary (coach Van Egmond) after that to see if I'm on board again for next season but I want to keep playing."

Heskey says room has to be found in the roster for Bridges.

"Definately,"he said.

"The thing with Bridgy outside his own football ability is his experience and just the way he interacts and helps the young lads.

"He's given a lot to the club.

"It's been tough for him this season not getting on the park all that much but it's never affected his professionalism and the way he's gone about things at training and with the lads."

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