Melbourne have rewarded popular but injury plagued midfielder Jack Trengove with a one-year contract extension to play on next AFL season.
Trengove, who was a co-captain with Jack Grimes for two years, has managed just five games in the past three seasons while battling a career-threatening stress fracture in his foot.
He played his first AFL game in more than two years when he returned to the senior side in round 11 this season but his comeback lasted just three matches before he returned to the VFL.
The 24-year-old was the second overall pick, behind Melbourne's top choice Tom Scully, at the 2009 draft. He has played just 84 games since then, while Scully has made a high-profile switch to Greater Western Sydney.
Grimes has also struggled to play regularly at senior level, but outgoing coach Paul Roos has paid tribute to the pair in a Friday media conference.
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"They've had a significant impact, and I said this to them. They've had a really significant impact on the footy club," Roos said.
"They might not think that but the message I was trying to give them was that we wouldn't have been able to do what we've done without them stepping aside as captains because they recognised where they wanted to take their footy.
"Jack Trengove has gone through a tough time with injury but their ability to accept decisions to play VFL and drive the standards ... they've had a significant impact on this footy club.
"Make no mistake, they are two of the best people I've met in footy."
