Essendon forward Jackson Merrett is putting a “frustrating” season in 2017 behind him.

The 24 year old, who this week signed a one year contract extension with the Club, said he is focused on getting back to playing his best football.

“I am very pleased to sign on with Essendon again for the upcoming season,” Merrett said.

“Last year was a frustrating season, not playing many games due to injury.

“I’m looking forward to getting stuck into pre-season and giving myself the best opportunity for senior football. I’m excited with the list Essendon has and I’m confident it is heading in the right direction.”

Senior Coach, John Worsfold, said Merrett has proven he has the ability at the top level.

“Jackson has already shown he can play a good level of AFL and he has been working on parts of his game to make him a more consistent performer. We have seen that coming through,” Worsfold said.

“Even though he didn’t get many opportunities in 2017, we think he will add value if he breaks into our team.

“Jackson’s attitude is great, he works really hard and generally stays really positive, even during the tough times he faced in 2017m making him a respected player at the Club.”

List & Recruiting Manager, Adrian Dodoro, said the club is confident Merrett can play a role in the Dons line-up in 2018.

“Jackson has committed to playing with us in 2018, unfortunately he missed the later part of this year when he broke his leg,” Dodoro said.

“It wasn’t that long ago that Jackson was an integral part of our senior team but his form in the last couple of years hasn’t lived up to that standard.

“We are really confident that with a big pre-season, he could become a very important part of our midfield rotations.”

Merrett has played 54 games for the Bombers over his six year career.

To view Jackson Merrett’s official player profile, click here.