The Essendon Football Club is pleased to announce James Stewart will remain in the red and black for a further two years.

Originally drafted by GWS with pick No.27 in the 2012 national draft, Stewart joined the Bombers via the trade period in 2016.

Since joining the club, the 28-year-old has played 60 games across his six seasons, taking his total career tally to 78.

As a 199cm versatile utility, Stewart has shown his ability to be a target up forward while also moving down back to take on the oppositions’ key forwards.

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Stewart said he was thrilled to remain at the club for another two years.

"I feel as though my best football is a head of me and I’m driven to working hard on improving this football club,” Stewart said.

“It has been a challenging year for a variety of reasons but I believe that this why we play football. The 150th year celebrations showcased how challenging times can make winning Premierships more meaningful.”

General manager of list and recruiting Adrian Dodoro said Stewart’s flexibility will make him an important contributor to the Bombers’ list.

“James is an experienced key position player who can use his strength to be a key target in attack or transition down back to stop opposition forwards,” Dodoro said.

“We look forward to seeing James continue to grow and develop over the years to come.”