Jesse Hogan sacrifices $1 million to stay at Melbourne after signing two-year contract extension

RE-SIGNED Melbourne forward Jesse Hogan has sacrificed at least $1 million to stay loyal to the Demons under a deal that secures him to the club until 2019.

Jesse Hogan has re-signed with the Demons. Picture: Justin Benson-Cooper

RE-SIGNED Melbourne forward Jesse Hogan has sacrificed at least $1 million to stay loyal to the Demons under a deal that secures him to the club until 2019.

Hogan ensured Melbourne fans would spend the summer dreaming of glory after finally agreeing to a two-year extension.

He told the Herald Sun he aspired to be a one-club player, conceding the most likely chance to ­return home had just passed.

Hogan said he had never met with Fremantle officials, saying any discussions about a move were “hypothetical”.

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But he had been made aware he could easily earn $1.2 million per year elsewhere, with Melbourne and non-Victorian clubs prepared to offer crazy money.

The Demons would not disclose his contract terms, but with his contract worth less than $800,000 a year he is leaving plenty of money on the table.

“Money was never really part of the decision,” he said.

“If I was to come home it was for different reasons, that was never the biggest issue.

“Other factors were more important (and) to be honest it never got too close.

Jesse Hogan says he wants to be a one-club player after signing a contract extension with the Demons. Picture: Justin Benson-Cooper

“It was all more hypothetical and more about if there was to be a time (to come home) this was it.

“When I did come to the decision it was quite heavily Melbourne-weighted. Reflecting upon it, it was quite an easy decision.”

Hogan says he has aspirations to remain at Melbourne past his current deal, eager for that premiership that has eluded the Demons for so long — at 62 years now the longest premiership drought.

“Every player in the AFL wants to be a one-club player. You look at the players who retire as one-club players, they are absolute legends of their clubs,’’ he said.

“I don’t know if that’s what is going to happen to me but that is the aim when you go into the AFL to be a 200 or 300-game player with team success and enjoy that with one team.

“Every team would have aspirations to make the Grand Final in the next 5-10 years and we are no different. We are building a good list and it is exciting times.”

The West Australian revealed his poor last five weeks had started with a minor injury and seem him eventually reach out as his issues snowballed.

“It was a mix of everything. I got a little injury and that hung in the back of my mind and I was getting written more about me coming home and my body language,’’ he said.

“That was building up with a few other things and I held off for too long talking about it and let it get to me. But I have worked it out and reflected upon it now.

“I have always struggled with criticism and I had to learn how to take it and I had to find people’s opinions that mattered to me.

“Goody (Simon Goodwin) is one of those people and Brendan McCartney and a few players and my family.”

Hogan says there are exciting times ahead for Melbourne. Picture: Getty Images

Melbourne football manager Josh Mahoney described Hogan as being a vital part of the club’s list build.

“Key forwards are really hard to find and when you find one you have to make sure they stay for as long as you can because you can build teams around them,’’ he said.

“As much as there has been different ways of scoring this year with goals over the back, in crunch games being able to kick the ball into the forward line and have a forward take a strong contested mark, it gives the midfield a lot of confidence.”

The Demons will sign Cam Pedersen for another year as cover for their talls, which does not bode well for Chris Dawes.

Melbourne will field offers for defender Lynden Dunn, aware he is desperate for more opportunities after playing mostly VFL this year.

They expect to secure Essendon’s Michael Hibberd with their second-round pick (No.26), having already handed over this year’s pick last season to secure Sam Weideman.

That decision now looks solid given Weideman has shown glimpses of real potential and this year’s draft carries few key forwards of real excitement.