PREMIERSHIP hero Ryan Schoenmakers says he wants to stay at Hawthorn.
Out of contract at the end of this season, Schoenmakers has reportedly attracted interest from a number of other clubs.
But the 24-year-old South Australian said he wanted to re-sign with the three-time reigning premiers.
“My preference is to stay where I am,” Schoenmakers told Adelaide radio station FIVEaa on Wednesday.
“I’m really happy there, I’ve got some really close friends.
“Over the next week or two my management will sit down with the club and we’ll discuss that and sort everything out. I honestly haven’t really thought about that at the moment, I’m still sort of on a massive high.
“They’ll sit down and work out all the technicalities I suppose, so I’ll just leave that to them.”
The swingman arguably played the best game of his 95-game career in Saturday’s AFL Grand Final, providing a strong forward presence to finish with 21 disposals, nine marks and a goal.
He played 16 games for the season, and bounced back after missing the Hawks’ qualifying loss to feature in the side’s three winning finals.
The 195-centimetre key position player was in demand at the end of 2014, but decided to remain a Hawk and play out the final year of his existing contract with the club.
He said forcing his way into a premiership team justified his decision to stay.
“It really wasn’t that much of a decision for me (re-signing last year),” Schoenmakers said.
“I love the club and I love playing there. For me it was about staying there and being a part of success.
“I’d sort of seen that happen over the last couple of years and I really wanted that. I thought being at Hawthorn, that’s the place where I’m going to get success.
“I knew it was going to be some hard yards to get back in the side and be a part of that, but I was happy to take on the challenge.”
RELATED
Birchall takes the cups to Tassie
