The Kennel will be Luke Dahlhaus’ home for at least the next three years, with the 22 year-old signing a contract extension with the Wetsern Bulldogs until 2018.

Placing fourth in the Sutton Medal last year, Dahlhaus played 21 games averaging 21.6 disposals, in the best year of the small forward’s short career to date.

Entering his fifth season of senior football, Dahlhaus said it was mixed feelings of relief and excitement upon locking in his future at Victoria Univeristy Whitten Oval.

“I’m really relieved, it’s obviously an easy decision to sign-back up at the Bulldogs,” Dahlhaus said.

“[We] got it done before round one, so now I can relax and play footy for the next three years now. It’s pretty exciting,”

Dahlhaus’s story is a familiar one at the Kennel. Drafted as a rookie, elevated to the senior list, going on to establish himself as a regular senior players.

Along with the likes of Matthew Boyd, Dale Morris and Liam Picken, Dahlhaus is one of eight players on the Bulldogs‘ current senior list to have been promoted from the rookie ranks.

“The first day I got here, I put my foot in the door, and just from there I said to myself ‘you’re going to have to work every day to go any further,’” Dahlhaus said.

“I always wanted to obviously get on the senior list from there.”

“I’m just so happy and excited for the future.”

It seems like yesterday for Dahlhaus that he arrived as a dreadlocked teenager from Geelong at Whitten Oval, but with 77 games of AFL football and five preseasons under his belt, Dahlhaus has come along way.

“I was pretty raw when I got to the club, and probably didn’t know what it took to be professional, and do things day in and day out to be the best you can be.

“I’ve definitely got to the age now where I know, so I’m just going to keep growing on that and hopefully pass on a few things to the younger boys.”