Young midfielder Connor Blakely says he was relieved to have extended his contract with Fremantle until the end of the 2017 season.

The rising talent has been in Fremantle’s best performers playing for Peel Thunder in the WAFL this year and has been staking his claim for a debut in the AFL.

He was listed as an emergency for Sunday’s game against the Giants and may yet get to play AFL this year.

Blakely said he was happy to have extended his stay at the club.

“It was something I definitely wanted to do before the year was over,” he said.

“I’m glad that Freo was happy to extend my contract, so I’m happy for it to have happened.

“It shows they’re pretty happy with how I am going.”

Blakely is among a group of Freo’s next generation of midfielders such as Lachie Weller, Ed Langdon and Brady Grey.

The foursome have been crucial in Peel’s rise up the WAFL ladder this season.

“We’re going really well at the moment, hopefully we can play finals and play a big part in the finals,” he said.

“It’s so exciting down there.

“There are a lot of fans coming down to Mandurah.

“It’s something that I am really proud to be a part of and hopefully we can finish the year off well.”

Fremantle’s general manager of player management Brad Lloyd said Blakely was proving to be an important emerging player for the club.

“Since coming to the club, he has been outstanding in the way he has applied himself,” he said.

“He has had a really consistent year so far with Peel and we look forward to his continued development.”