The “mentor” for Brownlow Medallist Gary Ablett – youngster Charlie Dixon – has been rewarded with a contract extension at the Gold Coast Suns.
The Cairns-bred key forward has signed on for another year, ensuring he will be with the AFL newcomers until the end of 2012.
Dixon may not be a household name just yet, but the 20-year-old was handpicked by Suns coach Guy McKenna to take Ablett under his wing when the former Geelong premiership winner came to the club.
In what the Suns call “reverse mentoring”, the youngsters who had helped build the Gold Coast’s culture during the past 12 months were responsible for passing that onto the high-profile recruits.
A former Queensland under-18 representative, Dixon joins No.1 draft pick David Swallow and Zac Smith as the third Suns young gun to commit to an extended deal.
“I’ve been at the Gold Coast Suns pretty much from the start,” Dixon said.
“I love being here, I feel close to the players and really respect the coaches and I want to give myself every chance of enjoying some real success with the group.”
Dixon is still recovering from a back injury and is working towards getting back in the main training group.
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